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417-328-1803
BOLIVAR, Mo. – Southwest Baptist University Music Department presents the Wind Symphony in concert on Thursday, November 15, at 7:30 p.m.
Works
by Shostakovich, Milhaud, and Ticheli will be performed by the 60-member
ensemble. The free public performance will be held at Pike Auditorium on the
SBU campus.
“A
classic orchestral transcription, a cornerstone of wind band repertoire, and a
new work destined for permanence in the repertoire…a program sure to please a
variety of palates!” states Dr. Brian Hopwood, conductor and director of
instrumental studies at SBU.
The
concert will open with Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich’s "Festive Overture, Opus 96," a work
originally written for orchestra in 1954 and transcribed for wind band by
Eastman Wind Ensemble conductor (1965-2001) Donald Hunsberger in 1965. It is
among the most-performed transcriptions for band and in addition to its
distinctive Russian flavor, contains one of Shostakovich’s greatest
attributes―the ability to write a long, sustained melodic line combined with a
pulsating rhythmic drive.
Also
included on the program is Darius Milhaud’s most significant work for full wind
band, "Suite Francaise, op. 248" (1944). The five parts of this suite are named after French Provinces, the very
ones in which the American and Allied armies fought together with the French
underground for the liberation of France: Normandy, Brittany, Ile-de-France,
Alsace-Lorraine, and Provence. Milhaud uses folk tunes of these Provinces and
original folk-song material.
The
concluding work, "Angels in the
Architecture" by Frank Ticheli, is composed for soprano solo and wind band.
The work unfolds as a dramatic conflict between the two extremes of human
existence―one divine and one evil. The work’s title is inspired by the Sydney
Opera House, the location of the premiere performance, with its halo-shaped
acoustical ornaments hanging directly above the performance stage.
For
more information, please call Brian K. Hopwood, department of music, at
417-328-1647 or email him at bhopwood@sbuniv.edu.
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Southwest
Baptist University is a leader among private universities in truly integrating
Christ-centered academic pursuits with comprehensive professional programs at
an affordable price. At SBU, the faculty and staff create a caring, academic
community to prepare students to be servant leaders in a global society. For
more information, visit www.SBUniv.edu.
