NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Stephen F. Austin State University bands will present the annual "Concert in the Park" at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 1, on the lawn in front of the Wright Music Building.
Performing will be the University Band and the Symphonic Band, both directed by Dr. James Dreiling, acting assistant director of bands at SFA; the Wind Symphony, directed by Dr. Tamey Anglley, acting associate director of bands; and the Wind Ensemble, directed by Dr. David Campo, acting director of bands while Fred J. Allen is on spring sabbatical.
The SFA University Band will open the concert with "Into the Clouds" by Richard Saucedo and guest conducted by graduate assistant Dwight Watson of Wylie. The second selection is conducted by graduate assistant Taylor Goodwin of Ennis and was inspired by the untimely death of gifted actor James Dean. "As Summer Was Just Beginning" was composed by Larry Daehn in 1994 and has become a popular ballad with bands across the nation. The University Band will conclude its portion of the concert with a march by Karl L. King. "Liberty Fleet" was composed in 1942 and is one of his lesser-known marches.
The Symphonic Band will open its portion of the concert with "Albanian Dance" by Shelley Hanson followed by a medley of familiar tunes from the 1938 classic film "The Wizard of Oz," including "Ding-Dong! The Witch is Dead," "If I Only Had a Brain," "We're Off to See the Wizard" and "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." The Symphonic Band will conclude with the classic march "Them Basses" by G.F. Huffine featuring the low brass and woodwinds sections.
The Wind Symphony will perform Scott Joplin's second published march "Combination March" written in 1896 for piano. "Combination March" was only Joplin's second published march. Wind Symphony will finish with George Gershwin's well-known "An American In Paris."
Concert in the Park will close with the Wind Ensemble performing highlights of the semester with selections from composers Steven Bryant, Léo Delibes, Darius Milhaud and Henry Fillmore. The performance will feature Bryant's "In This Broad Earth," Delibes' stirring "March and Cortege of Bacchus," first presented by the Wind Ensemble on their annual spring tour, and selections from Milhaud's" Suite Francaise" and Fillmore's rousing march, "Rolling Thunder."
The "Concert in the Park" setting was created by SFA Director of Bands Emeritus Melvin B. Montgomery. Admission is free. Beginning at 1 p.m., Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma, honorary band service fraternity and sorority, will sell $5 hamburger plates that include a burger, chips and drink.
For more information, call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or visit www.finearts.sfasu.edu.
Axe ’Em, Jacks!