UPEI Wind Symphony to perform at St. Dunstan’s
The UPEI Wind Symphony will perform its final recital of the Fall semester on Thursday, November 21 at 7:30 pm. In a departure from tradition, this performance will take place at St. Dunstan's Basilica in downtown Charlottetown. This change in venue will ensure all Wind Symphony patrons are able to attend and can take advantage of the architectural and aesthetic beauty that St. Dunstan's offers.
For this performance, the Wind Symphony will be performing several symphonic masterworks of the wind band genre-one of the most ambitious Fall programs in its history. Among the featured works is 'Endurance' by the American composer Timothy Mahr. According to the composer, the work is a musical reflection upon the infinite endurance of the human spirit, the religious spirit, and the spirit of the earth. Initial inspiration for the piece came from a book of the same title by Alfred Lansing documenting the amazing story of the ill-fated expedition of the Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton in 1914-1916. His ship, the Endurance, became ice-bound and eventually sank, stranding Shackleton and his crew of 27. They experienced over 15 months of life exposed to the unrelenting, dangerous Antarctic weather, and, miraculously survived to tell it. The strength of character exhibited by these men in enduring incredible hardships is truly awe-inspiring.
Concerto soloist for this performance is marimbist Branden Kelly. Kelly is a fifth-year UPEI music education major who hopes to continue his percussion studies at the graduate level next year. He has been highly active as a performance major, completing two solo recitals, being awarded the first prize in the most recent UPEI Performance Competition, and represented PEI at the National Competitive Festival of Music this past August. 'The David Gillingham Marimba Concerto,' which he will perform, exploits the technical facility of the marimba, showcasing its diverse colors and styles. Recently, UPEI acquired a beautiful sounding five-octave marimba, on which Kelly will be performing.
Two major compositions by Englishmen will fill out the program. Philip Sparke's 'Celebration' is a virtuosic work. It was written for the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra, one of the world's finest wind bands. A sonorous extended opening fanfare gives way to a busy Presto based of material derived from the Fanfare in addition to contrasting lyrical themes. Frank Bridge's 'Pageant of London' is a suitable companion to the well-known band works by Gustav Holst, Ralph Vaughan Williams, and Gordon Jacob. This five-movement work consists of two royal marches and three Renaissance dances. The evening will conclude with the delightful and energetic 'Danse Diabolique' by Austrian Joseph Hellmesberger.
The Wind Symphony has performed this program three times this fall, with enthusiastic response from audiences in Montague and Summerside, and at Acadia University in Nova Scotia.
During the past fifteen years, the Wind Symphony has produced an annual compact disc featuring selected repertoire from each year's performances. 'Cathedrals,' released in May 2010 received the 2011 Music PEI Award for Best Classical Recording. In February 2011, the Wind Symphony released its O Canada CD, a project exclusively for PEI public schools. Its most recent compact discs, Freebirds, Lord of the Rings, and Four Horsemen have been highly acclaimed. Additional information, including audio tracks of the Wind Symphony, may be found at http://music.upei.ca/
Tickets can be purchased in advance at the UPEI Music Department or at the door on the night of the performance. Tickets are $10 adults/seniors; $5 students.
For information:
Dr. Karem Simon
Professor, Department of Music, UPEI
