UW-Stout's Symphonic Band will present a winter concert at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 4, in the Memorial Student Center Great Hall. Tickets are $5 and are available online, at the MSC Service Center and at the door.
The music performed will depict scenes one might imagine in various daydreams: mystic visions, serene natural settings, foreign locations and historic settings, creating a collage of musical experiences for the audience, said Director Aaron Durst.
“Music has the power to create visions and take us places both real and imagined. The variety of music in the program has been challenging to prepare but also an enjoyable experience over the semester,” he said.
The Symphonic Band will begin with “Hypnotic Memories” by Rossano Galante, which features a repeating rhythm in a meter of seven creating a trance-like effect to lead the audience into a world of daydreams and fantasy visions. “Dance of the Imp” by David Samuel provides a vision of a playful, mischievous imp on a starry night dancing around a fire.
The British folk song “O Waly, Waly,” known to many as “The Water is Wide,” is recast by Carol Brittin Chambers into “Where the Waters Meet,” to capture a vision of nature where forests, rivers and creeks meet in a serene setting. This peaceful selection is then contrasted with the exciting “Havana Nights” by Randall Standridge, inspired by Cuban music to create an invigorating and exotic celebration of nightlife that might be experienced by travelers to Havana.
The audience will then be transported back in time to the golden age of bands with the march “Our Director” composed in 1892 by F.E. Bigelow. “Angels in the Architecture” by Frank Ticheli is a significant work with multiple layers of interest for the performers and audience alike. The piece’s title is inspired by the Sydney Opera House, with its halo-shaped acoustical ornaments. The music depicts a dramatic conflict between the two extremes of human existence – one divine, the other evil.
The concert will close with Camille Saint-Saëns’ “Danse Bacchanale,” written for a ballet scene in the opera “Samson and Delilah” depicting a surreal pagan ceremony.
Tyler Barnett, a sophomore in mechanical engineering from Baldwin, enjoys playing with the band. “Stout band allows me to continue music in college at a more comfortable level. Our music is engaging and familiar to the ear so it's enjoyable to play. I don’t worry about perfection, but rather just enjoy my time playing with others,” he said.
Austin Wiederhoeft, a junior in mechanical engineering from Merrill, has had a good first semester with the band, saying, “I enjoy the selections and playing with the diverse group of students from different majors coming together to make music.”
UW-Stout’s performing arts offers opportunities for students to join theatre, band and choir. The performing arts invites students from all majors to come together and provides a creative outlet and a chance to explore their artistic talents. There is also a performing arts minor.
