The St. Cloud State Wind Ensemble will present “Inspiration” at 3 p.m. March 20 in Ritsche Auditorium.
This concert features music for wind band by composers Ron Nelson, Percy Grainger, Christopher Stark and Dan Welcher who draw on a mix of inspirations including western landscapes, folk music traditions, religious beliefs and emotion.
Related links
The performance opens with Nelson’s “Lauds” a colorful, exuberant work intended to express feelings of praise and glorification. Grainger’s masterwork “Lincolnshire Posy” is a collection of “musical wildflowers,” portraits of both the singer and the treasured folk melodies, as collected by the composer. The program will close with Dan Welcher’s “Zion,” inspired by the composer’s visit to the Zion National Park in Utah and based on 19th-century hymn tunes.
A feature of the program is “Velocity Meadows,” a new work for solo oboe, chamber ensemble, electronics and video by Christopher Stark. He will be in St. Cloud from March 18-20 to present to composition students and ensemble members as well as speak to the audience about his music.
Stark is a composer of contemporary classical music deeply rooted in the American West. Having spent his formative years in rural western Montana, his music is always seeking to capture the expansive energy of this quintessential American landscape.
The oboe soloist for Velocity Meadows is Heather Peyton, assistant professor of oboe and music theory at the University of Northern Iowa.
The St. Cloud State Wind Ensemble is a select group of 40 performers, mostly St. Cloud State music majors led by conductor Catharine Bushman.
Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for seniors and free for those with a SCSU ID. A live webcast will be available at http://www.stcloudstate.edu/liveevents/ritsche/default.asp.
