The Elmhurst University Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble are excited to perform their first concert of the spring semester on Sunday, March 10 at 2 p.m. in Hammerschmidt Chapel on the university campus. The concert is free and open to the concert-going public.
The Symphonic Band will open the concert with Hobbits, music expressing the carefree and optimistic character of the hobbit folk coming from the final movement of Johan De Meij’s Symphony No. 1 “The Lord of the Rings.” This will be followed by a transcription for wind band of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Prelude Opus 23, No.5. The music of contemporary composer Katahj Copley follows with Halcyon Hearts, music depicting the moment of peace when one finds their love or passion. Rossano Galante is one of the most popular composers of contemporary wind band music. His Transcendent Journey opens with a big, powerful, exhilarating chord that grabs the listener right away and begins the “journey” and evoking both heroism and beauty. The listener should feel as though they can accomplish anything, no matter how challenging.
The Wind Ensemble will open the second portion of the program with the exciting rhythms and musical twists from the first movement of Dance Movements by Philip Sparke. One British composer leads to another with one of the masterworks in the wind band repertoire by a great composer, Gustav Holst’s Suite in Eb for Military Band. The music of Leonard Bernstein is featured next with the exciting music, complex rhythms and meter changes in the second movement from his Symphony No. 1 “Jeremiah” entitled Profanation. Carl Friedemann’s Slavonic Rhapsody has a publication date of 1904 yet it is not known whether this was an original composition for wind band or a piano piece, but we know it was first recorded in 1909 by the Sousa Band. It is known that this fabulous showpiece has been in the repertoire of some of the world’s finest bands for more than a century. From the third movement of his “Tragic Symphony” dedicated to his daughter, James Barnes gives us some of the most beautiful music written for the wind band medium. The concert will conclude with the powerful finale movement of praise and gratitude from David Maslanka’s Symphony No. 8 that can be traced to the end of the favorite old hymn tune All Creatures of Our God and King.
Admission to the concert is free. For more information, visit elmhurst.edu/music.
