First. Symphony Band, Symphony Orchestra, Concert Band, University Philharmonic shows are 100% juice, 100% FREE @ Hill Auditorium.
Second. UMS and Music School event calendar here
Now, I truly do not mean to toot my own horn but I thought it may be neat to review the show as a member of the group. A kind of artistic mole, or “a reporter on the performance side of the curtain.” This is also the first time in that I’ve publicly reviewed a show I’ve been a part #livingadangerouslygeekylife. Here it goes.
Call was 7:30. The Band of some 70+ members arrived all suited up. The traditional black bow-tie and tuxedo. Stop. Hammer time. 1-second on tuxes. I think the tuxedo is out-dated for what we do. Sometimes I feel like I’m putting on my grandma’s moth balls and there’s hair in there and holy ja-hoopin-nanny how long has this smelled like mildew?? Sure, it’s the “highest” formality in terms of western attire but white under black on black on black is just done! We could afford to be much more sleek and modern and sexy. Like black on black on black on black – classic. Secretly, putting on a tux does make me feel like a million bucks and I love that but high school homecoming was much too long ago. Damn, just hit up GQ. Back to it..
Our musical squad walked on stage minutes before showtime for a last second warm up. As a percussionist, I was having a momentary FrEaKout, and frantically made sure my instruments and sticks we set, my music in place and my mind focused. I made sure that my set-up for the Chamber’s (of 2 congas, a djembe, 2 pirate ship bells, china cymbal, hi-hat, chimes, and LARGE tam-tam a.k.a Gong) was good to go just before the lights went up. All the members of the band stopped doodling and sat with a keen attentiveness. Michael Haithcock, our conductor, walked on stage, bowed to the applauding audience, swiveled round on his left heel in pin-dropping silence, raised the stick and off to the races we went.
El Salón México began the set. Behind the xylophone and temple blocks (hallow blocks of wood) from which I sparsely played, I had a clear vantage point to the rest of the percussionists and the brass. The Kettle Drums sang various solos and accents after rhythmic conversations with the snare drum, cymbal, bass drum, and the brass section. The crazy time signatures flew blew in exquisite feel and pacing. Next, Outcry and Turning. It’s a piece written about the morning anger in the aftermath of 911. Evan Chambers is a composer on faculty here and his shrieking of the horns and the woodwinds were backed by an arsenal of drums and gongs. The piece drove with a sporadic and shrill introduction. Unfortunately during the bongo ostinato, the group tempo quivered in parts it never had before and teetered on the edge of falling apart yet found balance. This show was only preparation for the recording session of the work the following night (6 hours in hill, cinnamon roll saved the night, whew!) The Bates was meant to represent “the phenomenon of dead animals decaying and drifting downward through the water” and the audience loved it…so they ate it up? Umm Yuck? However, the effects: knocks on top of the piano and a rhythmic typewriter played by the lovely Christina, made the work well worth it. The Band sounded tip-top together and played sparkly during the first movement, and dark during the second and third. I sat behind the timpani, and left with a sour taste in my mouth – not my personal best, could have played much better.
After the Bates, we have 15 minutes to transition between set-ups for the second half. This amounted to a militaristic drill, planned acutely before hand. “can I take this?”, “we don’t use those!”, “go, go, go!” Once the dust settled, myself, along with four of the six other percussionists remained back stage while Paul played solo on Ladder to the Moon – also written by a UM composer on faculty. The Granthum, through all it’s quirky dissonances and white-jazzy-swing sections, tagged the end of the show with a kick in the ass. Playing xylo, maracas, and spoons (hold two spoons by the ends so that the backs of the eating discs face each other, clap them together against your leg and bam, qualified musician. 10 points for execution) went as well as I could have hoped though it racked the ol nerves going inkto it. The Xylophone duet and feature locked and had flow – the bull’s eye we were aiming for. The spoon section, endearing and cheerful – all 6 of us clacking them together as we rose our spoons high and mighty to the air. The Band really came together. All around sound – superb.
The show ended, we were given a standing ovation, and off the stage. We un-dressed as the lights came down and as the rest of the symphony band left for home, the percussionists got as busy as the squirrels collecting fat for the winter – packing up all the gear needed for the show. “The Pack” went well, everything set in it’s right place in preparation for the following Halloween concerts and recording sessions early this week. A job well done. All walked home, tuxes and bowties in tow.
See more here.
Shameless Plug >>> BAND-O-RAMA THIS WEEKEND. Saturday night @ Hill Auditorium.
Wishing for SNOW SNOW SNOW. And Sandy, who invited you? Git out our subways and our beaches and boardwalks and such . Hunter Chee
PROGRAM
Aaron Copland – El Salón México
Evan Chambers – Outcry and Turning
Mason Bates, Sea-Blue Circuitry, Patricia Cornett, graduate conductor
Michael Daugherty – Ladder to the Moon, Yehonatan Berick, violin
Donald Grantham – J’ai été au bal (“I went to the ball”)
Updated . Nov 2.12 9:35am
