Modern and traditional music will collide Monday as the Ohio University Symphonic Band performs at the Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium for its annual fall performance.
The band will perform music with roots in myriad mediums — from a French march called “Marche Militaire Francaise” by Camille Saint-Saëns, to the “Overture to Candide” by Leonard Bernstein, to the modern percussion-oriented “Tempered Steel” by Charles Rochester Young — said Scott Roether, a senior percussionist studying music education.
“Our director, (Richard) Suk, has chosen some pieces that are very challenging and accessible to the audience,” Roether said.
The symphonic band is a performance group made up of both music and
non-music majors, and they are selected by audition to play with the ensemble.
Seth Alexander, a freshman percussionist studying music performance, said that the group had a lot to offer the audience with its high level of talent
and commitment to the music.
“These are people who want to practice and perform, and they’re just good at it,” Alexander said. “We’re all doing different things and we’re all coming together … and making beautiful things together.” Roether said that a lot of the music being performed in the concert demonstrates the exciting and enjoyable part of the symphonic band’s repertoire.
Taylor Hardy, a junior trumpet player studying music education agreed, adding that “the pieces are fun and upbeat. … We hope the audience will take the time to listen and relax, and let us play our music
for them.”
“Tempered Steel,” a favorite among the band members, is a part of the performance that will be particularly interesting to the people in the audience, said Hayley Shaw, a sophomore playing French horn and studying music composition and anthropology.
One feature that stands out with the piece includes a trumpet solo split between three players, where each section will dance across from one player
to another.
Corey Smythe, a freshman who plays bass clarinet and studies music education, said the show itself will be good because the music will be brought to life by the talent of the players in the group.
“We’re to the point where we don’t play what is on the page; we actually create music and be expressive with it,” Smythe said. “It gives the pieces (their)
own character.”
ds834910@ohiou.edu
