December 01, 2009

Wind Ensemble performance set for Dec. 7

by Andrea Hahn

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- The Southern Illinois University Carbondale Wind Ensemble presents a concert commemorating the work of English composer Gustav Holst.

The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 7, at Shryock Auditorium. Tickets are $10 for general admission and $5 for students. Get tickets in advance at the ticket offices at the SIU Arena or the Student Center. Tickets are also available at the Shryock Auditorium box office beginning one hour before the performance begins.

Wind Ensemble Director Christopher Morehouse said the program centers on Holst’s “First Suite in E-flat for Military Band,” noting that this year marks the 100th anniversary of the composition. The piece is a standard in concert band repertoire. It includes three distinct movements with an underlying melody as a thread throughout.

The program moves on to Steven Bryant’s “Suite Dreams,” which Morehouse said takes inspiration from the Holst piece. The program rounds out with Beethoven’s “March No. 1 in F,” and Paul Hindemith’s “Geschwindmarsch,” which is the second movement of his “Symphonia Serena.” The concert begins and ends with pieces somewhat reminiscent of each other. It begins with Eugene Bozza’s “Children’s Overture,” and ends with Ottorino Respighi’s “The Pines of the Appian Way.”

The SIUC Wind Ensemble is the School of Music’s select touring wind and band ensemble. Any SIUC student can join the ensemble, but placement is based on audition performance.