This past Saturday night: September 24 at 8 pm, the various musical ensembles of 老司机传媒 presented a beautiful array of instrumental and choral pieces at the annual Alumni Gala Concert, held at the Howard Performing Arts Center. Performances featured the Wind Symphony, directed by Byron Graves; the Symphony Orchestra, directed by Marc Élysée; and the University Singers and University Chorale, both directed by Steven Zork.
The Homecoming Gala is a fondly cherished event during Alumni Weekend each year at AU. Returning alumni gather to reminisce with affection on their time at Andrews, as many of them may have been a part of these musical groups. As a member of the Symphony Orchestra myself, I can imagine the added layer of excitement a performance like this may bring for someone who has performed in an AU musical ensemble. Being surrounded by various instruments that all function together to produce masterpieces of music is truly incredible. The Gala gives alumni an opportunity to reflect on these beloved memories while welcoming the talents of the current generation of fine musicians.
The night opened with several captivating selections from the Wind Symphony, beginning with “The Washington Post” by John Philip Sousa. This march has remained one of this nation’s most renowned marches since its composition in 1889, originally created for performance by the United States Marine Band. The piece has a steady percussive beat, simulating the beat of military drums. It evokes feelings of grandeur and magnificence. “The Washington Post” was followed by highlights from the American theatre classic “The Music Man” (Meredith Wilson/arr. Alfred Reed), which was more cheerful and light-hearted in nature. The symphony’s performance of “‘Danzon’ from Fancy Free” (Leonard Bernstein/arr. John Krance) would best be characterized as greatly intriguing, as there were many moving parts to the piece. It required the audience to be attentive and listen to how each distinctive part fit into the bigger picture. The Wind Symphony ended as it was begun–with a march. John Chetham’s “A.B.A Symphonic March (“Kitty Hawk”)” is both melodically pleasing as well as containing the staple component of a march–a consistent, repetitive beat.
Following the Wind Symphony was a performance by the Symphony Orchestra. The three pieces played, “Hungarian March from the Damnation of Faust” (Hector Berlioz), “‘Nimrod’ from Enigma Variations” (Edward Elgar), and “Romeo and Juliet Suite No. 2” (Sergei Prokofiev) followed a strategically and splendidly placed sequence. The performance started out with the lively composition of Berlioz, echoing some of the core elements of the marches performed by the Wind Symphony. This was followed by the slow and reflective “Nimrod.” This piece gave the audience the potential opportunity to ponder the deeper, more introspective aspects of life. The orchestra ended with a pensive and striking presentation of Prokofiev’s “Romeo and Juliet.” This piece was intense, providing the proper backdrop for its accompanying story, Romeo and Juliett.
The night concluded with selections from the University Chorale and University Singers. The Chorale began with a delightful rendition of the classic “Amazing Grace” (arr. Will Todd). At the first sound of the singers’ voices, the hall was filled with a sense of serenity and calmness. Johannes Brahms’ “Ein Deutsches Requiem, op. 44 – How Lovely Is Thy Dwelling Place” was deeply ethereal and angelic in nature. The University Singers then took over with the short and refreshing “Bourée,” composed by Johann Sebastian Bach and arranged by Ward Swingle. Their next selection, “Warm Summer Sun” (Stephen Chatman) featured a solo by Jason Marquez (senior, music performance major)–who masterfully added a layer of depth and artistry with his clarinet. This piece felt exactly like how I would imagine it would based on the title. It evoked feelings of warmth, ease, and comfort. The last pieces of the evening were the University Singers’ performances of the timeless spiritual “Steal Away” (arr. Gwyneth Walker) and “Unclouded Day” (arr. Shawn Kirchner)--both of which were lyrically rich and empowering.
The Alumni Gala is a beautiful representation of what it means to present and share in the gift of music. Symphonic and choral music has a lovely way of making us more perceptive of the nuances and artistic details that make art so beautiful. It is of such value that we have the opportunity to experience such beauty on our very own campus!
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