First of the year for many

What can make you feel light and airy to sudden change fiery rage? The GVSU Symphonic Wind Ensemble.

On Sunday, Oct. 16 at 7:30 p.m. at the Louis Armstrong Theatre on GVSU’s Allendale Campus, the ensemble, composed of students, conducted by Barry Martin, who made his GVSU ensemble debut, played a free concert.

The 490-seat auditorium was adequate, and unlike other halls. The venue’s lights were dimmed creating a subtle awareness of fellow audience members throughout the performance. It made focusing on the music alone harder than usual for some.

The music was challenging itself, also. Denise Finnegan, who played E-flat clarinet, said they had been practicing for this concert since the first week of classes.

The students who played wore all black. The women wore black from their own wardrobe with their hair down while the men looked more uniform with a black bow tie and white button down with a black jacket.

Instruments that were played included piccolo, flute, oboe, English horn, bassoon, E-flat clarinet, clarinet, bass clarinet, also saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, French horn, trumpet, trombone, bass trombone, euphonium, tuba, piano and percussion.

To start off the concert, the ensemble played “Fanfare for a Golden Sky” (2003) by Scott Boerma, “Colonial Song” (1911/1918) by Percy Grainger, “Symphony No. 6, Op. 69” (1958) by Vincent Persichetti and “National Emblem” (1906/1981) by Edwin Eugene Bagley, edited by Frederick Fennell.

The tone of the pieces varied from life blossoming like spring to wartime patriotism.

“We wanted the audience to grasp how diverse band literature can be,” Finnegan said.

The “Symphony No. 6, Op. 69” was the most compelling piece performed. It was comprised of Adagio/Allegro, Adagio sostenuto, Allegretto and Vivace. After each component, the conductor would take a brief pause with no applause from the audience then instruct the start of the next portion.

Usually after each piece the audience would applaud for a longer than usual time for a concert. Martin, the conductor, would stand to either side of the ensemble, silently mouth “thank you,” point his hand to the students then instruct certain students to stand who had solos during that piece, after which the rest of the ensemble would join in standing.

This showed the group and individual’s effort in performing such a masterful piece.

The conductor used big, smooth movements to instruct the ensemble members. The student to the right of the conductor distributed the music for each piece. In between each piece after the applause, the conductor would take the time to give feedback on certain things. He would use signals during the concert to instruct certain instruments to play louder or softer. During pieces that might have been more powerful, he would swing the baton enthusiastically.

Over half the seats were filled before intermission.

Once intermission started, the audience seemed unsure about what to do. Yet once the first person got up, others followed, heading for the door. About a third of the audience reconvened after intermission. It seemed some students were only there for an assignment and had what they needed.

During the second half of the performance, the ensemble played “Festive Overture, Op. 96” (1954/1965) by Dmitri Shostakovich, translated by Donald Hunsberger, “October” (2000) by Eric Whitacre, “Armenian Dances — Part 1” (1972) by Alfred Reed and “La Tregenda” (1884/1996) by Giacomo Puccini, edited by Robert E. Foster.

“We would love to spread awareness of the different musical genres, time periods, playing styles, and difficulties that music has to offer,” said Kelsey Wilcox, English horn.

The last piece, titled “La Tregenda” was exceptionally thrilling. Every moment of the piece left you on your toes. One moment the music recalled light breeze, the next a hurricane.

“The different instruments often have ‘musical dialogue’ with one another, that is to say when you are playing in different sections it is like having musical conversations – one group will play, while another one listens and then they can respond, and sometimes there are multiple conversations happening at the same time,” Wilcox said.

The ensemble was arranged in the standard semi-circle formation with the piano to the left and percussion in the back.

Certain members of the ensemble tapped their foot to the music while others stayed still. Some would rest their instrument on their lap while others would hold it on their knee when it was not their turn to play during a song.

When a particular piece was animated so were the students. Some would bounce their heads with their instrument, maybe wishing they could stand up and dance around the stage.

The concert lasted about an hour.

The work the students put in not only relates to the pieces they play but the real world.

“I just always hear people emphasize the team work that sports build, but in my opinion music is better because everyone comes out a winner, and as far as real world experience goes, working on a piece together is more like working on a project together in a real world job situation,” Finnegan said.