The University of Georgia’s Concert Band and University Band both performed in Hugh Hodgson Concert Hall on Wednesday night, delivering a whimsical and exciting show. Each band performed five songs, with the Concert Band’s theme being “Dragonfly” and the University Band’s theme being “Darkness into Light.”
Both bands were composed of mostly non-music majors, displaying a variety of students and music. Overall, attendees left feeling as if they were transported into fantastical worlds, celebrating the power of music.
“It’s worth experiencing and taking the trek to the music school to have these experiences and listen to this because it’s really beautiful seeing what other students on campus spend their time on. And, music’s always a great outlet for us to experience art,” Erika Rosenzweig, a senior landscape architecture major, said.
Conducted by R. Scott Mullen, the Concert Band started with a bang. They performed the following:
- “Dragonfly” by Katahj Copley
- “Contre Qui, Rose” by Morten Lauridsen and translated by H.Robert Reynolds
- “…and then the Universe exploded” by Olivia Kieffer
- “Song for Lyndsay” by Andrew Boysen, Jr.
- “Caravan” by Chandler Wilson
The program’s namesake, “Dragonfly,” took listeners on an adventure. According to the program notes, Copley was inspired by the Japanese film composer, Joe Hisaishi, famously known for his work in Studio Ghibli films.
“I wanted to use [Hisaishi’s] colors and his palette to paint a picture of intensity, beauty, and adventure. From the beginning of the piece, it is an explosion of color and energy,” the program note said.
“Contre Qui, Rose,” on the other hand, is a French poem intended to leave questions unanswered with unresolved harmonies, according to the program note.
“Against whom, rose,
Have you assumed these thorns?
Is it your too fragile joy that forced you
to become this armed thing?
And from whom does it protect you,
this exaggerated defense?
How many enemies have I lifted from you who
do not fear it at all?
On the contrary, from Summer to Autumn
you wound the affection that is given you.”
From “Contre Qui, Rose”
As the program continued, the pieces built in excitement too. Despite the seemingly daunting name, both “…and then the Universe exploded” and “Song for Lyndsay” were joyful pieces. The program note said that sometimes, the very end is the most beautiful.
Finally, “Caravan” walked audience members through the desert regions of the Arabian Peninsula, North Africa, the Levant and Mesopotamia. Denise Deal, a consultant for the Sassafras Group, said this piece was her favorite.
“It was fun … the young adults seemed like they had a lot of fun playing it, and you could tell,” Deal said.
Deal felt like the program’s theme, “Dragonfly,” was very fitting for spring. It made her think of walking through a garden with all the winged bugs. She was happy to support her daughter, who played in the University Band, and support what she thought was “treasure for the community.”
The University Band, however, started on a darker note. Conducted by Brett Bawcum, they performed the following:
- “The Cave You Fear” by Michael Markowski
- “On Shores of Endless Sea” by Kevin Day
- “España Cañi” by Pascual Marquina and arranged by Robert Longfield
- “Scrapin’” by Benjamin Horne
- “Illumination” by David Maslanka
“The Cave You Fear” was a suspenseful and mysterious piece, serving as a “thrilling call to adventure” that urged listeners to venture outside their comfort zones, according to the program note. Dalton Self, a junior mechanical engineering major and trombone player in the University Band, said this piece was the one he was most excited to play.
“It’s one of the more darker ones. There’s this really cool low brass feature towards the end, and because, you know, trombones, we kind of like that stuff,” Self said.
“On Shores of Endless Sea” was meant to represent a paradise of “immense beauty and majesty,” according to the program note. The piece was based on the hymn “Called by Earth and Sky,” which has the verse:
“Precious these waters endless seas, deep ocean’s dream, waters of healing, river of rain, the wash of love again.”
Rosenzweig said this was her favorite piece because it felt magical. She was reminded of Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” and said she could see herself on a boat, rowing along.
“España Cañi” is a popular pasodoble, a fast Spanish military march song. Andrew Niemann, freshman computer science major, plays trombone in the University Band. He said this piece was the most fun to play.
“Scrapin’” and “Illumination” were both energetic songs, with “Scrapin’” incorporating elements of trap that had the audience nodding their heads to the rhythm. “Illumination” had the goal of sharing creative energy with a community through music, the program note said.
Both Selft and Niemann expressed similar sentiments, saying they hoped their “Darkness into Light” performance drew more people to the music school who appreciated their musicianship.
“I think it’s especially important at this this time of year—a lot of students and adults start feeling burnt out. It’s really nice to take a moment to appreciate the fact that there is a transition between darkness to light, day into night, sadness into happiness, and I think that they portrayed that really well,” Rosenzweig said.
I want to share stories of artistry with the world, particularly those by minorities. I’m a junior at the University of Georgia pursuing a journalism degree, music minor, music business certificate and news literacy certificate. I vow myself to veracious storytelling because I felt the consequences when the truth remained unknown.