Mat-Su Concert Band travels ‘Around the World’ at fall concert
Contributed by Mat-Su Concert Band
The Mat-Su Concert Band’s fall concert celebrates the vibrant influence of international music in a performance that takes listeners on a global journey. The “Around the World” concert takes place at 7:30 p.m. Saturday Oct. 5 at the Glenn Massay Theater at Mat-Su College. Tickets are $20 for general admission and $5 for students. Children under 5 get in free. Tickets can be purchased online atwww.matsuconcertband.org.
The program features pieces inspired by the music of Spain, Mexico, Ireland, Holland, England, China and Japan. The music of the United States is also reflected in the traditions of bluegrass – and video games. The concert features familiar wind band classics from England including Folk Song Suite by Ralph Vaughan Williams and the moving Nimrod from Edward Elgar’s Enigma Variations.
More contemporary influences are apparent in I Was Born for This, a piece composed by Austin Wintory for the soundtrack of the video game “Journey” that is expected to feature a solo vocalist. The voice part is sung in several different languages, making it a perfect fit for this concert.
Japanese anime and 2018 film “Sound! Euphonium”, which tells the story of a fictional high school wind band, is the inspiration for Liz and the Blue Bird composed by Akito Matsuda. The piece is in four movements: Ordinary Days, A New Family, A Decision of Love, and To The Far Sky, and is based on the German fictional fairy tale of the same name ("Liz und ein Blauer Vogel").
Dutch contemporary composer Jacob de Haan wrote Ammerland, his most frequently performed work, to evoke a region of northern Germany with rural areas that “combine fields covered with yellow grape blossoms, lush meadows, seemingly endless country roads, and an exquisite lakeside,” according to the composer’s program notes.
Great Wall (The Legend of Qi Jiguang) by William Owens calls up the ferocity of the Chinese Ming dynasty military with a piece that combines the boldness of war drums in Mongol Attack with the uneasy mystery of Aftermath and the beauty tempered by vigilance of Peacetime that precedes the epic conclusion of The Empire Victorious.
A classic Spanish march, Amparito Roca by Jaime Texidor, presents themes ranging from brassy melodies evoking a bullfight to a gentle, lighthearted section of a dance. This piece is fun to play and will be exciting to hear!
Symphonic Dance #3 “Fiesta” by Clifton Williams celebrates the history of San Antonio and “reflects the excitement and color of the city’s many Mexican celebrations, which Williams called ‘the pageantry of Latin American celebration -- street bands, bull fights, bright costumes, the colorful legacy of a proud people,’” according to program notes for the symphonic band of California State University, Fresno.
The music of Ireland is represented in Sòlas Ané (Gaelic: Yesterday’s Joy) by composer Samuel R. Hazo, a piece that kicks off with a burst of Celtic drumming before giving way to lush textures and quiet woodwind solos.
The Blue Ridge, arranged by Robert Sheldon, honors the rich history of Appalachia with four songs in a concert band setting: Jack-a-Roe; the haunting Come All Ye Fair and Tender Ladies; Tom Dooley, in an unexpected arrangement; and Barbara Allen.
Mat-Su Concert Band got its start in 1984 as the Mat-Su Community Band, formed by Matanuska Music owner Hank Hartman. Past directors have included Neil Long, Phil Munger, and Gleo Huyck. The fall concert will be conducted by our interim directors and band members Tyler Martin (percussion) and Chris Loescher (trumpet).
Today, the band is made up of more than 60 musicians from many different walks of life who come together to make music every week during the school year. Rehearsals are held at Wasilla High School.