STEFFENS: Welcome to Great Arts at Eastern. I’m David Steffens, Dean of College of Fine Arts, and today we preview two upcoming concerts in the Music Department. The Wind Symphony Concert is scheduled this coming Sunday, October 9, at 3:00 PM, and that’s in Buchanan Hall. And then the following Thursday, we’ll have the Fall Choral Concert. That’s Thursday, October 13th, again at 7:00 PM again Buchanan Hall. I’m joined today by two faculty members. Mr. Dustin Seifert, Director of Bands and Music Department Chair. Dustin, how would you describe the Wind Symphony concert program that we’ll hear on Sunday?
SEIFERT: The concert on Sunday is dedicated to Jim Keene, who is the Director of the University of Illinois Bands from 1985 until his retirement in 2008. He had a large impact on me, my life, and also that of Pam and Sid Shuler. So, we decided to select repertoire. That would provide a fitting tribute to him and his legacy, including closing the concert with an addition of Sousa’s Invincible Eagle that was edited by Professor Keene. We’re also going to play the Beautiful English Dances set 2 of Malcolm Arnold, which was one of Mr. Keens. Favorite works and a new piece, to me, anyway, I maybe everyone else in the world knows the opera Thaïs. I don’t. Or didn’t. Until earlier this summer, when I found this beautiful piece entitled Meditation that I’ve since come to understand is played on every instrument as a solo. But I haven’t been aware of it until just very recently. That work’s also, interesting because it was transcribed by the father of the college band, A.A. Harding at the University of Illinois, where Mr. Keene was the Director of Bands. The opener, then, is based on the same theme as the Ode to Joy, and that’s by Tim Mahr, who teaches at Saint Olaf. So, I think that this will be a fantastic concert, about 45 minutes in length, depending on my program notes, and will be a fitting tribute to someone who made significant contributions to the profession.
STEFFENS: Wonderful. You put together a bit of an international program, then, with a little flavor of England and a bit of America and a little French music in there as well,
SEIFERT: We have indeed.
STEFFENS: Very good. And that’s again on Sunday at 3:00 PM Buchanan Hall. And I believe it’s free. Is that right?
SEIFERT: Free and open to the public.
STEFFENS: Well, very good. I’m also joined today by Doctor Jason Paulk, Director of Choral Studies at Jason. You have a concert coming and how would you describe the repertoire for that concert?
PAULK: Eclectic and very interesting. We’re chamber singers will be singing, and university singers will be singing, and then The Sopranos and Altos of university singers and tenors and bases of University singers. So, four different ensembles performing four different portions of the concert I should say, but we open with A and eastern Indian piece entitled TaReKiTa, and so you’ll hear some really rich kind of resonant eastern type singing, followed by some really nice Western classical Bruckner, 2 motets that he wrote and a fascinating setting of a wonderful poem by Paul Laurence Dunbar entitled “Why the Caged Bird Sings,” originally titled “Sympathy.” An interesting note about Paul Laurence Dunbar, His parents were both slaves, and then he wrote this really insightful poem, Sympathy about why the caged bird- anyone in bondage beats his wings incessantly and violently. And then he also says later in the poem, and Jake Runestad, when he sets his music, he really elevates the poem to a new plane. And you’ll hear Doctor Stephanie Beinlich singing, a gorgeous soprano solo where she just floats a high B flat for about 20 seconds and it’s uh, it’s really gorgeous. The tenors and bases will sing as sort of a reprise performance from their Men’s choir festival about a month ago. And then the Sopranos are singing what I call “Birds of a Different Feather.” This set of three bird songs including “Jabberwocky,” “Songbird” and “Birdsong,” one of those conducted by a senior music education major. And the University Singers. singing some great repertoire, but one that I’m most excited about is Zadok the Priest released by Handel, because everyone’s gonna get to see a coronation coming soon. So, this was sort of pressured programming, even though I didn’t know that at the time. So, Zadok the Priest was one of four coronation anthems that Handel wrote nearly 18th century and so everybody will enjoy that I think.
STEFFENS: Wonderful. So again, the concert is Thursday evening at 7, Buchanan Hall.
PAULK: Free of charge,
STEFFENS: Free and open to the public. Hope to see you all there.
The Wind Symphony Concert
Sunday, October 9th at 3:00 PM,
Buchanan Hall
Fall Choral Concert.
Thursday, October 13th at 7:00 PM
Buchanan Hall.