SFA Percussion Ensemble concert scheduled

The SFA Percussion Ensemble will present its annual fall concert at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 3, in Cole Concert Hall, located in the Wright Music Building, 2210 Alumni Drive.

NACOGDOCHES, TEXAS - The Percussion Ensemble at Stephen F. Austin State University will showcase a broad spectrum of sound during its annual fall concert at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 3, in Cole Concert Hall on the SFA campus.

The concert will open with an energetic drum and cymbal work by Bruce Hamilton and Ney Rosauro's "Concerto for Vibraphone and Percussion Ensemble," featuring Dayton senior Jon Gaedchens.

The ensemble's 12 members will close the first half with Phillip Mikula's "To Those Who Are Brave," which employs "almost every percussion instrument SFA owns!" exclaimed director Scott Harris, SFA associate professor of percussion.

The second half of the program showcases works of a more contemporary or popular nature, Harris continued. "Alexander Lepak's 'Crescendo' is literally a huge crescendo beginning with the softest fingers on a solo conga and ending with the full ensemble playing as loud as possible, and Ernst Toch's 'Geographical Fugue' uses only spoken text."

Mansfield junior Melanie Settle will be the featured xylophone soloist on George Hamilton Green's ragtime work "Fluffy Ruffles," and Arthur Lipner's calypso tune "City Soca" makes use of Latin percussion instruments, steel drums and marimbas.

Tickets are $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and $2 for students. For tickets or more information, please go to www.finearts.sfasu.edu or call (936) 468-6407 or (888) 240-ARTS.