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Performances by wind ensembles and brass bands are usually relegated to park band shells, high school graduations, half-time at football games, Fourth of July concerts and other patriotic events. As a result, these types of ensembles and their repertoire are not always taken as seriously as they should be. Nevertheless, like any instrument or genre of music, wind ensembles, with their warm, smooth sound, have had their share of master composers, and their art is still very much alive.
On Sunday afternoon, November 16, the Southold Wind Ensemble, under the direction of Danial Balog, performed six works in the Campus Auditorium of Northside Hall. The pieces on the program ranged from the fun and traditional to the complex and difficult.
The six works were "Americans We March," written by Henry Fillmore (1881-1956) and arranged by Frederick Fennell (1914-2004); "Courtly Airs and Dances," a work based on Renaissance dances, by Ron Nelson (b. 1929); "American Folk Rhapsody," a composition the Southold Wind Ensemble commissioned from Elliot Del Borgo (b. 1938) and premiered in 1994; "Chester Overture for Band," a setting by William Schuman (1910-1992) of an American revolutionary hymn written by William Billings (1746-1800); "With Sounding Trumpets," composed by W. Francis McBeth (b. 1933); and "The Liberty Bell March," written by John Phillip Sousa (1854-1932), in an arrangement by William D. Revelli (1902-1994).
The first piece on the program, "Americans We March," is a traditional march. Rollicking, fun, bright, and consisting of well-developed contrapuntal devices, the work possesses the trademark sounds associated with this genre of music. After the opening work, the concert took a decidedly serious turn, with each piece that followed representing a progression from the simplicity of the beloved march toward the sophistication and complexity of art pieces.
The works by Nelson, Del Borgo, Schuman, and McBeth were more deeply structured and, therefore, more challenging to play. Each of the four works offered a blend of layers and textures that posed numerous challenges to ensemble members. The closing work of the concert, "The Liberty Bell March," is one of the most enduring marches. It was written by probably the most famous composer of that genre, John Phillip Sousa, and took the ensemble and the audience back into the same mood with which the concert began.
Though the program consisted of many exciting and interesting compositions, the performances of the two marches were the highlight of the concert. With the marches the wind ensemble excelled, with a focused, lush, seamless sound.
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