Symphonic Band performs last concert of spring semester

DISCLAIMER: This is a news article contributed by an independent writer currently enrolled in Angelo State University’s News Reporting and Writing class. 

The “Symphonic Band Concert: Landscapes” was performed on Friday, April 26 at 7 p.m. in the Brooks & Bates Theatre with free admission. This concert served as the final concert of the spring season with performances from student musicians who were given an opportunity to conduct the band.

The leader of this event was Jonathan Alvis, director of bands and associate professor of music at ASU, who noted that there were no seniors present in the band at this time. He assisted in the performance as a member of the percussion section while the students were conducting. This ensemble was designed to be a teaching and low-pressure ensemble that gave students and the audience an enjoyable and fun experience.

The first song of the performance was “Into the Clouds,” by Richard Saucedo and was conducted by Rebeca Ramos. The brass section was very prominent throughout this piece as they provided a strong base for the rest of the band to follow as well as a strong beginning and ending to the piece.

The second song was “In the Shining of the Stars,” by Robert Sheldon and conducted by Corey DeChaine. This piece was a soft and calming piece that showcases the rise and fall of the sound provided by the woodwinds. The bass section provided gentle build-ups that would lead to the start of a calming melody.

The third song, “Skydive,” by Chris Bernotas, was conducted by Benjamin Martin. This piece alternated between adventurous rhythms and a serene rhythm that provided the feeling of enjoying the scenery while free falling.

The fourth song was “Into the Arctic,” by Brian Balmages, conducted by Jacob Peterman. The beginning of this piece was a calm and tranquil melody provided by the woodwinds that gradually changed to a sense of uneasiness. This was accentuated by the usage of chimes and wood blocks, which was reminiscent of something that was lurking just around the corner.

The fifth song, “Kentucky 1800,” by Clare Grundman, was conducted by Nicholas DeLeon. This song was based on the folk tunes played during the time of the Westward Expansion. Each section of the song flowed together well to create a nice balance between the tranquil and upbeat sections. The tone of this piece gives way to the feeling of the journey the people took during the Westward Expansion in search of new land.

The sixth song was “Pathways Uncharted,” by Michael Kamuf and conducted by Matthew Wenzel. This piece had an adventurous rhythm that played into the feeling of someone walking through a fairytale. There was an underlying jazzy feel to the whole piece that was brought out by the brass section and the saxophones.

The seventh song “Under the Prairie Sky,” by Robert Buckley, was conducted by Jesse Ruiz-Ortiz. The composer for this piece was a composer for television stations like Disney Channel and Cartoon Network. This piece began with an explosive start that was upbeat and gradually leaned into a calm and serene melody to represent a night on the prairie. The piece then picked back up to an upbeat melody to close out the piece.

The eighth song was “Songs of the Sea,” arranged by Johnnie Vinson and conducted by Nikki Garcia. This piece was a combination of a few sea shanties that had a catchy tone to them. Some of the notable shanties that were played were “Drunken Sailor,” “Rolling Down to Old Maui” and “Wellerman." The ensemble started the last section of this piece with the loud stomps of their feet before proceeding to play the “Wellerman.”

The last song of the night was “Cumberland Cross,” by Carl Strommen, conducted by Allison Culwell. The beginning of the song started off with a slow and serene rhythm and there was a dramatic change in the tone to a fast and upbeat rhythm later in the piece.

This concert marks the final concert for the spring season until next spring.