NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The Stephen F. Austin State University College of Fine Arts and School of Music will present the annual spring concert of SFA's Symphonic Band and University Band at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 15, in W.M. Turner Auditorium on the SFA campus.
Led by graduate conductor Stephen Morman of Athens, the University Band will present a variety of works influenced by Irish music, including Frank Ticheli's moving setting of "Loch Lomond," commissioned by Nigel Durno, for the Stewarton Academy Senior Wind Ensemble of East Ayrshire, Scotland. Influencing the original song is the Celtic legend of the Battle of Culloden Moor and the imprisonment of two Scottish soldiers, one of whom was to be executed and the other to be set free. According to Celtic legend if someone dies in a foreign land, his spirit will travel to his homeland by "the low road," or the route for the souls of the dead. In the song, the spirit of the dead soldier shall arrive first, while the living soldier will take the "high road" over the mountains, to arrive afterwards, explained David W. Campo, associate director of bands.
The University Band will also perform Jan Van der Roost's "Dublin Dances," which combines three well-known traditional Irish melodies. Campo will guest conduct Karl King's "The Viking March," the trio of which became the fight song for Indiana University.
The Symphonic Band, under the direction of Tamey Anglley, assistant director of bands, will open the second half of the concert with "Circus Days," also by King, who was a famous march composer and bandmaster.
Graduate conductor Daniel Curry of Nacogdoches will guest conduct "Pageant" by Vincent Persichetti, followed by the Symphonic Band's performance of Brian Hogg's "Pastorale Setting: Llwyn Onn," which is a traditional Welsh folk song about a sailor's love for "Gwen of Llwyn."
The final piece of the concert will be "Folk Dances" by Dmitri Shostakovich and arranged by M. Vakhutinsky for Russian bands, which use much more brass in their instrumentation than American bands, according to Anglley. When the work became available in America in 1979, American bandmaster H. Robert Reynolds scored his version for American bands.
Tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and $3 for students and youth. For tickets or more information, call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or visit www.finearts.sfasu.edu.
Axe ’Em, Jacks!