PRESS RELEASE
UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS
COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS AND COMMUNICATION
CONTACT: Christina Madsen (501) 852-2659; chrsitinam@uca.edu
Dr. Ricky Brooks (501) 450-5764; rickyb@uca.edu
October 1, 2015
WIND ENSEMBLE, SYMPHONIC BAND PERFORMANCE SET FOR OCT. 15
By Kendra Beattie
College of Fine Arts and Communication Media Office
CONWAY — The University of Central Arkansas Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band will host a joint performance at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 15, in the Donald W. Reynolds Performance Hall on the UCA campus.
The concert will be this semester’s first performance for the two groups with Wind Ensemble conduction by Director of Bands Ricky Brooks and Symphonic Band conduction by Associate Director of Bands Brantley Douglas. The performance is free and open to the public.
The Symphonic Band will start the concert with the first movement of “The Lord of the Rings” Symphony by Johan de Meij, “Symphonic Songs for Band” by Robert Russell Bennett, a setting of Greensleeves by Alfred Reed and “The Gum-Suckers March” by Percy Grainger.
The first movement of “The Lord of the Rings” is a musical portrait of the wizard Gandalf and his wild ride on his beautiful grey horse Shadowfax.
“”Symphonic Songs for Band” is a three-movement work commissioned by Kappa Kappa Psi, the national band fraternity,” Douglas said. “When Dr. Brooks told me he was going to do a piece commissioned by Kappa Kappa Psi, this piece instantly came to mind for me. It’s one of my all-time favorite pieces.”
Greensleeves is a traditional English folksong rumored to have been composed by Henry VIII for Anne Boleyn. This setting by Alfred Reed is recognized as a standard in band literature.
“The Gum-Suckers March” refers to Australians from the state of Victoria, the home state of Percy Grainger. The leaves of the “gum” (Eucalyptus) tress are very refreshing to suck in the parching summer weather.
The UCA Wind Ensemble will then follow with “The Klaxon March” by Henry Fillmore; “JoyRide” by Mark Markowski; “Longing,” by Anthony O’Toole and “Pagan Dances” by James Barnes.
“‘Pagan Dances,’ in three movements, is our most challenging one,” Brooks said. “It was commissioned by the UCA Kappa Kappa Psi Chapter and [former] Director of Bands Russell Langston in 1987. ‘Longing’ is a beautiful piece transcribed from a choral setting. ‘JoyRide’ is a new, fanfare-style piece incorporating Beethoven’s ‘Ode to Joy’ [and] ‘The Klaxon’ is a circus-tempo march.”
During one movement from “Pagan Dances,” first-chair flutist Kayla Copeland will perform an extended flute solo.
The UCA Wind Ensemble will have its second concert of the semester on Dec. 1. The ensemble will also perform at the UCA Band Extravaganza concert on Dec. 3.
The UCA College of Fine Arts and Communication includes the Departments of Art, Communication, Mass Communication and Theatre, Music and Writing. The college’s primary mission is the preparation of the next generation of artists, educators and communicators. For more information about CFAC, visit www.uca.edu/cfac or call (501) 450-3293.
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