Music department to present free concerts

February 18, 2016 | Music |

The Department of Music will present three free concerts featuring several musical ensembles next week. A jazz concert will be held Feb. 21, the University-Community Orchestra will play on Feb. 22, and the Wind Ensemble will perform on Feb. 25. The jazz concert will be held at 2 p.m. in the Reynolds Recital Hall, and the orchestra and wind ensemble concerts will be held in the Administration Auditorium at 7 p.m.

The jazz concert will feature the University’s Lab Band, directed by Assistant Professor of Music Wes Parker, and Jazz Combo and Jazz Band, both directed by Associate Professor of Music Andrew Cook. Each of these groups will play for about 20 minutes, and featured song titles include, “Corner Pocket,” “Birdland,” “Sing, Sing, Sing,” “Take the A Train,” and “Boplicity.”

The Orchestra is composed of University musicians, local professionals, and advanced students from the Searcy Community School of Music. Their repertoire includes pieces for both string orchestras and full orchestras.

Music for the Orchestra event includes “Andantino” from Six Duets for Two Cellos by Frederich Kummer; “Quartet,” Opus 74. No. 2, movement 4, by Franz Joseph Haydn; “Brandenburg,” Concerto No. 3 in G Major, by J. S. Bach; “Nocturne” from String Quartet No. 2 by Alexander Borodin; and “Academic Festival Overture” by Johannes Brahms.

The Wind Ensemble travels through Arkansas and neighboring states on tour, and their repertoire consists of standard band literature, event-oriented music, and new music for wind ensemble.

The Wind Ensemble will perform “Celebrations” by John Zdechlik; “The Sun Will Rise Again” by Philip Sparke; “Fugue a la Gigue” by J. S. Bach and arranged by Gustav Holst; “Second Suite” in F by Gustav Holst; “Variations for Wind Band” by Ralph Vaughan Williams; and “Suite” from The Red Pony by Aaron Copland.

Dr. Michael Chance is the director of both groups. He has been the director of bands since 1996 and the director of orchestra since 1998.