Symphonic Wind Ensemble to play at international festival
Released: October 31, 2005
The University of Wisconsin – Whitewater Symphonic Wind Ensemble (SWE) has been invited to play at the seventh International Wind Festival hosted by the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) in association with the 24th British Association of Symphonic Brass and Wind Ensemble (BASBWE) from Wednesday, Nov. 2 to Sunday, Nov. 6.
This will be the first time UW-Whitewater’s Symphonic Wind Ensemble has been invited to play at the festival and conference. In honor of this accomplishment, Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle has proclaimed UW-Whitewater the “ambassador of music for the state of Wisconsin.” He added, “Congratulations on this very prestigious honor. Wisconsin is very proud of you.”
On Friday, Nov. 4, UW-Whitewater will perform at the RNCM Festival and the BASBWE Conference in Manchester, England. The Festival and Conference are linked for educational purposes with the four days devoted to wind, saxophone and jazz events, clinics, workshops and concerts.
“This is a phenomenal experience,” Director of Bands Glenn Hayes said. “Never before have we played on the international level.”
UW-Whitewater’s playlist includes “Canzona” by Peter Mennin, “Concerto in F: movements 2 and 3,” by George Gershwin, “Symphonic Songs for Band” by Robert Russell Bennett, “Joe’s Last Mix” by Tanner Menard, “Traveler” by David Maslanka, and “Scenes From Out on the Water” by Jeff Herriott.
“Joe’s Last Mix” was composed in 1999 and blends the structures of electronica and algorithmically-generated music. “Traveler” is dedicated to the continuation of life after retirement and inspired by Maslanka’s friend, Ray Lichtenwalter, of the University of Texas-Arlington. “Scenes From Out on the Water,” written by Jeff Herriott of UW-Whitewater, is inspired by the stories of early fiction authors, including Algernon Blackwood, Clark Ashton Smith, and specifically William Hope Hodgson’s “The Boats of the Glen Carrig.” The stories dealt with water and seas; “Scenes From Out on the Water” is Herriott’s attempt at recreating that feeling within an electro-acoustic genre.
Herriott, assistant professor and composer, along with Myung Hee Chung, associate professor, will also accompany the band on the trip. Herriott’s works have been performed and commissioned by many ensembles, including the Syracuse Society for New Music, the Glass Orchestra of Canada and Champ d’Action of Belgium. Chung, featured piano soloist, has presented solo recitals internationally and has appeared as a concerto soloist with both the Chicago Symphony and Baltimore Symphony orchestras.
Prior to the festival, UW-Whitewater will perform a concert on Tuesday, Nov. 1, at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland followed by a tour of the Edinburgh University Collection of Historic Musical Instruments and the Russell Collection of Early Keyboard Instruments. The Edinburgh collection of Historic Musical Instruments specializes in stringed, woodwind, brass and percussion instruments, many of which are on display in the earliest surviving purpose-built musical museum in the world. The Russell Collection specializes in harpsichords, clavichords, fortepianos and organs.
The Wind Ensemble is composed of 43 students-- 23 seniors, five juniors, 12 sophomores and three freshmen.
The UW-Whitewater Symphonic Wind Ensemble is one of seven bands performing from around the world. These bands include the RNCM Wind Orchestra, Vestsidens Musikkorps of Norway, the Northamptonshire Country Youth Concert Band, the Bolton Sinfonietta, Chetham’s Symphonic Wind Band and Guildhall School of Music and Drama Wind Orchestra.
For more information, contact Glenn Hayes at (262) 472-1337 or hayesg@uww.edu.
- Jonathan Kozlowski,kozlowskjd05@uww.edu
