On October 18, the Illinois Wesleyan School of Music’s Chamber Winds and Wind ensembles welcomed audiences to Westbrook Auditorium for their concert “And So It Begins…”
Conducted by Logan Campbell, director of Large Instrumental Ensembles at IWU, his musical selection was inspired by the beginning of the new semester and the opportunities that the new year can hold for the community. Six pieces were featured, including film scores and romantic era compositions.
The first piece, “Deuxieme Suite,” was performed by the Chamber Winds ensemble and opened the concert in five movements. The nontraditional piece was composed by Theodore Dubois in the 1890s.
While most compositions from that time were comprised primarily of wind instrument pairs, Dubois wrote the piece with only one oboe and a horn in mind. Senior Gabby Schwalm and Junior Andrew Lin were featured on the respective instruments. The five-movement piece carried a bouncy tempo with consistent motifs throughout each movement, showcasing the ensemble’s skill as a small group.
The second piece introduced the rest of the ensemble. “Appalachian Overture ”pulled from Appalachian folk music while giving things a modern feel. Composed by James Barnes in 2001, the piece provided an almost cinematic feeling that took the audience right to the mountains. Senior flutist Connie Kim, first-year piccolo Madeline Archer and junior trumpet Jackson Baker were featured in solos while the piece’s driving, dramatic tempo filled Westbrook Auditorium with energy, and then was balanced out by a slower, more reflective middle section.
The third piece, “Into the Sun” composed by Jodie Blackshaw, told a story. It took listeners along on the journey of refugees entering Australia following World War II, inspired by traditional sounds from the area. The six sections of the song depicted the arrival, new beginnings, acclimation, grieving for a past life, new opportunities and reflection of the refugees in their new home.
The opening of “Into the Sun” created a feeling of anticipation, and I could almost hear the train carrying the immigrants to their destination. With solos from junior trombone Elijah Dalla, sophomore clarinet Ernst Nkangu, sophomore euphonium Ben Heinz, junior horn Andrew Lin and senior horn Lacey Hodge, the piece showed the hope that the immigrants felt upon their arrival.
The fourth piece, pulled from “The Terminal” starring Tom Hanks, was entitled “Viktor’s Tale.” The song follows Hank’s character as he tries to make a life inside an airport after a conflict in his fictional home country leaves him unable to return home or enter the U.S. The score employed European motifs to portray his longing and nostalgia.
The quirky piece, composed by John Williams, featured the clarinet. The Wind Ensemble called upon Professor J. David Harris for this. Both the song and Harris’s energetic performance received an enthusiastic reaction from the crowd.
Before the Wind ensemble’s fifth piece, “Halcyon Hearts,” Campbell invited the audience to think about what love truly means to them. Rather than simply liking something a lot, the piece was meant to evoke feelings of real, full love. Composed by Katahj Copley, the composition emitted tones that emphasized the warm passion that comes with love. This piece included a second solo from Lin and a solo from first-year alto saxophone Kyan Geiser.
The ensembles closed with “March of the Belgian Parachutists,” which continued the tradition of performing a march in every concert. Composed around World War II, the march followed a steady, easy tempo and featured Archer on piccolo for a second time in a duet with oboist Schwam and additional solos from Kim and Baker.
The School of Music will return to the stage at 7 p.m. on Halloween as the Jazz Ensemble performs its Halloween Jazz concert. The Illinois Wesleyan community is invited to attend in costume for the chance to win a prize for “best costume”.
The Wind Ensemble has partnered with Glenwood High School for their November 15 concert titled “A Childhood Remembered.”