Help us kick off our fall season at the Redmond Performing Arts Center with a frightfully melodic afternoon of dynamic music that will set you on the edge of your seat. Dr. Ed Powell conducts the Eastside's premier wind ensemble in performing several epic and exhilarating works, including:
- El Chupacabra -- Penned by Pacific Lutheran University music composition student Emilio José González, the title translates literally to "goat sucker," a reference to the legendary beast that is said to roam the Americas, draining the blood of livestock. Artfully employing percussion instruments to fuse the phrases of this delightfully curious piece, Gonzalez uses contrabassoon, bassoon, baritone sax and oboe to represent the beast.
- À La Machaut -- From composer Andrew Boss: "This piece integrates thematic material from 3 works of the great medieval composer Guillaume de Machaut while adding a colorfully modern touch." The opening quotes Puis qu'en oubli ("Since I am forgotten"); upbeat percussion transitions the piece to the main material, quoting the melody of his secular virelai, Douce jame jolie ("Sweet lovely lady"); he also uses material from the Kyrie to Machaut's Messe de Nostre Dame. Last November, Dr. Boss conducted À La Machaut with the Washington State Symphonic Wind Ensemble at the Western International Band Clinic in Seattle.
- The Sorcerer's Apprentice -- Written in 1897 by Paul Dukas and transcribed by Mark Hindsley, this perennial favorite is featured in Disney's classic animated movie Fantasia. From magic, flying brooms, to an angry wizard scolding his apprentice, it's sure to conjure up visuals in your mind as the band romps through this playful masterpiece.
- Hive Mind -- Composed in 2014, Peter Van Zandt Lane wrote this work to explore the idea of collective consciousness. Listen carefully as melodies emerge from buzzing textures, desperately trying to coalesce conflicting harmonies. Van Zandt imagines his piece as "a musical dialogue that reinforces the dichotomy between what is structured and what is free."
- Tam O'Shanter Overture -- Composed by Malcom Arnold and arranged by John P. Paynter, this piece is based on the famous poem by Robert Burns about a farmer by the name of Tam O'Shanter. Arnold uses a free-wheeling trombone solo to portray the farmer's habit of imbibing too much, and keeps listeners on edge as Tam O'Shanter flees on horseback from the witches, goblins and ghouls chasing him home from the tavern.
- Wild Nights! -- One of America's foremost modern composers, Frank Ticheli was inspired to write this piece by Emily Dickenson's poem by the same name. Ticheli takes us on a colorful, musical journey that goes from joyful to dark then back to a feeling of ecstatic joy and optimism. Wild Nights! was commissioned by the California Band Directors Association in celebration of their 50th anniversary.
So join us at the Redmond Performing Arts Center located at Redmond High School on Sunday, October 29th for a magical afternoon of mesmerizing wind music!
