The sweet sounds of the UA’s Wind Ensemble and Wind Symphony will fill Crowder Hall tonight, as the School of Music presents its first concert of the year.
The show will be conducted by music professors Gregg Hanson and Jay Rees and will present traditional and contemporary works.
“”This concert marks the start of our season,”” Rees said. “”We feel that we have two of the finest groups that we have ever had.””
Both the symphony and the ensemble have been practicing for the concert since the start of the semester, as auditions were held the last week before school began, Rees said.
The UA Wind Ensemble, directed by Hanson and graduate student Tim Warren, is comprised of the top wind players in the School of Music, Rees said. It consists of 30-35 members and is accessible only by audition.
The ensemble will perform works by Mozart and David Maslanka.
“”Usually when people think of Mozart, they think about strings and operas,”” Rees said. “”This is a different take on Mozart.””
Maslanka’s piece, “”Unending Stream of Life,”” is inspired by the hymn “”All Creatures of Our God and King.””
“”Maslanka is quite possibly one of the best modern composers of our time,”” Rees said. “”He has visited the campus many times, and we have recorded together a few times.””
The wind symphony will also be featured in the show and directed by Rees. Presented pieces will include “”Crown Imperial”” by William Walton and Percy Grainger’s arrangement of “”The Irish Tune from County Derry,”” both of which have much historical significance, Rees said.
“”Crown Imperial was performed at the coronation of King George the VI,”” he said.
“”The Irish Tune from County Derry”” is also known as the popular Irish tune “”Danny Boy,”” Rees said, adding that the song is much older than most people think.
“”(This song) can’t be traced back to the original composer because it is so old,”” he said. “”The words to ‘Danny Boy’ were written about 100 years ago. That version is often related to Irish immigrants who moved to America.””
The concert will be held tonight at 7:30 at Crowder Hall, 1017 N. Olive Road. Admission is free. For more information, call 621-2998 or visit the School of Music’s Web site at www.music.arizona.edu.
