UPEI Wind Symphony at Zion Presbyterian Church
The UPEI Wind Symphony will perform its final recital of the Fall semester on Thursday, November 20 at 7:30 pm at Zion Presbyterian Church. Given the success of last Fall's performance at St. Dunstan's Basilica, the Wind Symphony is establishing a tradition of performing in downtown Charlottetown. The architectural and acoustical beauty at Zion will provide the ensemble and audience with a memorable experience. In addition, the seating capacity will allow for all Wind Symphony supporters to attend.
Some of the programming for this performance has been selected specifically with Zion in mind. 'Passamezzo Antico' by Paul Richards, the centrepiece of this recital's program, is a contemporary work written in Renaissance style with departures into modern counterpoint. A passamezzo antico is a chord progression common in the Renaissance over which performers would improvise. Richards uses this concept rather loosely creating a work that uses the colour of the modern wind band together with contemporary harmony, rhythm, and style. The spirituality of this work is aptly suited to Zion. Gustav Holst's masterpiece 'Suite in F' is one of the landmark original works for wind band. Using Renaissance and English folk melodies, Holst's contrapuntal writing and use of instrumental colour creates a very engaging work. Spanish composer Oscar Navarro's 'Downey Overture' will open the program. It is a virtuosic work reminiscent of Leonard Bernstein's 'West Side Story.'
Soloist for this performance is Wind Symphony principal trumpeter Laura MacLeod. She will perform 'La Virgen de la Macarena,' a lyrical and technical work made famous by the virtuoso trumpeter Rafael Mendez.
Performances this Fall will have brought the Wind Symphony to Saint John, New Brunswick, as well as Stonepark and Three Oaks Schools in Prince Edward Island. These performances represent UPEI's commitment to community outreach while providing its music majors with additional performance exposure.
During the past sixteen years, the Wind Symphony has produced an annual CD 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 CDs, 'Freebirds,' 'Lord of the Rings,' 'Four Horsemen' and 'Rumpelstilzchen' have been highly acclaimed.
Tickets for this performance are $10 general admission, and $5 students and may be acquired at the UPEI Music Department, and at the admission's desk the evening of the recital.
For information:
Dr. Karem J. Simon, Professor, Department of Music
(902) 566-0702, ksimon@upei.ca
