By Fifi Enyi
A night of music and culture
used to be equated with the mental stimulation of watching a three-hour
documentary on the pleasures of embroidery. The University of Calgary
Wind Ensemble hopes to be the exception to this rule.
An explosion of music and art will collide on Sat., July 3 when the U
of C Wind Ensemble performs their California Tour Fundraising Send-Off
Concert, “Blowing U of C’s Horn.” This concert, as the
name implies, is meant to supplement the Ensemble’s trip to the World
Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles in San Luis Obispo. Accompanying
this event is the debut of the ensemble’s fourth CD.
“Our goal is to go down there [WASBE] with a fabulous program and
turn out a fantastic performance,” says band member Carolyn Herrington.
WASBE, an international festival held every two years, is a gathering
of highly talented and skilled performers from all over the world. The
U of C Wind Ensemble was one of four ensembles who qualified from the
60 bands that auditioned.
“WASBE will be a valuable experience, one in which the Ensemble will
benefit both individually and collectively,” says Matt Firmston,
a forth year trombonist.
Trombonist and Graduate student Tony Gomes views WASBE as an opportunity
to show the talent and expertise that the Ensemble has to offer.
“As a group we want to say that we performed and did our best accordingly.”
As the only ensemble representing Canada, the task of leaving behind a
lasting and favorable immediate responsibility.
The selections include five musically diverse pieces.
Composer Henry Kucharzyk’s “Some Assembly Required iii,”
Ney Rosauro and Tony McCutchen’s “Concerto for Marimba and Wind
Ensemble,” Micheal Daugherty’s “Niagara Falls,” David
Maslanks’s “A Child’s Garden of Dreams,” and Frank
Zappa’s “Dog Breath Variations.”
This event offers something a diverse audience can enjoy. “Blowing
U of C’s Horn”will be at the Rozsa Center on Sat., July 3. Tickets
are $6 for students.