Blinn College District Music Program to host holiday concert series at the O’Donnell Center
Blinn’s Brass Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, and Symphonic Band will offer free performances
December 4, 2018
The Blinn College District Music Program will conclude the semester with a series of concerts at the Dr. W.W. O’Donnell Performing Arts Center Wednesday, Dec. 5, through Friday, Dec. 7.
The Brass Ensemble and Symphonic Band will perform at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 5; the “Deep Blue” Jazz Ensemble performs at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6; and the Percussion Ensemble will perform at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 7.
“These concerts are a culmination of the work that our students have done in their large ensembles for the entire semester,” said Todd Quinlan, Department Head. “Performances will include some holiday-themed music as well as standard repertoire.”
Admission is free and open to the public.
The Brass Ensemble and Symphonic Band, directed by Dr. Kendall Prinz, will perform Wednesday night. The Brass Ensemble will open its portion of the concert with original works for brass ensemble as well as transcriptions of music written for other ensembles. The concert will feature pieces such as “Jubilation” by Sy Brandon, which effectively uses different symphonic colors within the brass ensemble to weave a tapestry of sound throughout the composition, and “Suite for Brass” by Leonard Lebow, a classic piece in the brass repertoire that incorporates several styles of writing in the American idiom. The composer’s intent is to prove the flexibility of the large brass ensemble and to bring out the many moods and tonal colors of which such a group is capable.
The Symphonic Band’s portion is a holiday concert that features concert band classics, modern concert band repertoire, and holiday favorites. The concert will begin with “Melodious Thunk” by David Biedennbender and feature music inspired by Celtic folk music, 19th-Century orchestral music, and a lesser-known work by the preeminent composer for the band Percy Grainger. The final portion of the concert will feature holiday favorites from medlies of traditional Christmas carols to the Christmas favorite, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”
“Deep Blue”, the Jazz Ensemble directed by Dr. Craig Garrett and Brian Klekar, will perform Thursday night, showcasing a program of jazz selections from its recent tour, student soloists, and a set of Christmas favorites for the enjoyment of the season.
Friday night’s percussion ensemble, directed by Dr. Sarah Burke, will close out the concert series. The percussion ensemble will feature a variety of works ranging from complex classical literature to primal percussive fun. The concert will include two arrangements from Pat Metheny, “Have You Heard” and “Metheny Dream.” The percussion ensemble will close its concert with Eric Ewazen’s three-movement masterwork, “Palace of the Nine Perfections,” for percussion orchestra.
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.
