Blinn College District bands to conclude semester with four concerts
All musical performances are free and open to the public
April 30, 2018
The Blinn College-Brenham Campus bands will close out the semester with four separate performances at the Dr. W.W. O’Donnell Performing Arts Center this week.
Blinn’s jazz ensemble will perform at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 1; the Symphonic Band will take the stage at 7 p.m. on Friday, May 4; the percussion ensemble and steel band will showcase their talents at 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 5; and the Wind Symphony will perform at 5 p.m. on Sunday, May 6. All four performances will be hosted at the Dr. W.W. O’Donnell Performing Arts Center (map) in Brenham and are free to the general public.
The concerts will mark the students’ final performances of the semester.
“These students have been working all semester toward these concerts, so it is a way for the public to see what we have been working on while providing the students a valuable performance experience,” said Todd Quinlan, Department Head.
The concert series will open Tuesday with the jazz ensemble directed by Craig Garrett and Brian Klekar. The jazz ensemble will perform a variety of pieces highlighting styles such as swing, Latin, R&B, and funk. The band also will feature several student soloists and a variety of featured section performances.
The Symphonic Band, directed by Kendall Prinz, will perform Friday night and showcase a program that the ensemble has entitled “Journeys and Destinations.” The music highlights pieces that are inspired by different cultures and events in America and abroad. The concert will open with a beautiful rendition of “America the Beautiful,” and also will feature music inspired by the Middle East, Appalachian and Cajun folk melodies, and many others.
Saturday night’s percussion ensemble and steel band performance, co-directed by Quinlan and Band Director Sarah Burke. The percussion ensemble will feature pieces ranging from small ensembles for three people to an ensemble that uses the entire percussion studio. The steel drum ensemble will feature traditional, Caribbean steel drum music. The performance will include steel pans, a drum set, double bass, and accessories to play a mix of traditional tunes and popular tune arrangements.
The Wind Symphony, directed by Burke, will close out the concert series on Sunday. The Wind Symphony concert will feature a diverse program, including classic band literature, as well as new modern favorites. The program will include a special performance of Leonard Bernstein’s film score suite “On the Waterfront,” in honor of the 100th anniversary of his birth.
“This concert will also be the final farewell concert for many of our transferring sophomore students, so we hope to send them off with a concert to remember,” Burke said.
The Music Program is part of Blinn’s Division of Visual/Performing Arts and Kinesiology, which offers courses in architecture, arts, communication studies, kinesiology, music, and theatre.
