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UGA Concert and University Band Bring Whimsical and Exciting Performances
The University of Georgia’s Concert Band and University Band both performed in Hugh Hodgson Concert Hall on Wednesday night, delivering a whimsical and exciting show. Each band performed five songs, with the Concert Band’s theme being “Dragonfly” and the University Band’s theme being “Darkness into Light.”
Both bands were composed of mostly non-music majors, displaying a variety of students and music. Overall, attendees left feeling as if they were transported into fantastical worlds, celebrating the power of music.
“It’s worth experiencing and taking the trek to the music school to have these experiences and listen to this because it’s really beautiful seeing what other students on campus spend their time on. And, music’s always a great outlet for us to experience art,” Erika Rosenzweig, a senior landscape architecture major, said.
Conducted by R. Scott Mullen, the Concert Band started with a bang. They performed the following:
- “Dragonfly” by Katahj Copley
- “Contre Qui, Rose” by Morten Lauridsen and translated by H.Robert Reynolds
- “…and then the Universe exploded” by Olivia Kieffer
- “Song for Lyndsay” by Andrew Boysen, Jr.
- “Caravan” by Chandler Wilson
The program’s namesake, “Dragonfly,” took listeners on an adventure. According to the program notes, Copley was inspired by the Japanese film composer, Joe Hisaishi, famously known for his work in Studio Ghibli films.
“I wanted to use [Hisaishi’s] colors and his palette to paint a picture of intensity, beauty, and adventure. From the beginning of the piece, it is an explosion of color and energy,” the program note said.
“Contre Qui, Rose,” on the other hand, is a French poem intended to leave questions unanswered with unresolved harmonies, according to the program note.
“Against whom, rose,
Have you assumed these thorns?
Is it your too fragile joy that forced you
to become this armed thing?
And from whom does it protect you,
this exaggerated defense?
How many enemies have I lifted from you who
do not fear it at all?
On the contrary, from Summer to Autumn
you wound the affection that is given you.”
From “Contre Qui, Rose”
As the program continued, the pieces built in excitement too. Despite the seemingly daunting name, both “…and then the Universe exploded” and “Song for Lyndsay” were joyful pieces. The program note said that sometimes, the very end is the most beautiful.
Finally, “Caravan” walked audience members through the desert regions of the Arabian Peninsula, North Africa, the Levant and Mesopotamia. Denise Deal, a consultant for the Sassafras Group, said this piece was her favorite.
“It was fun … the young adults seemed like they had a lot of fun playing it, and you could tell,” Deal said.
Deal felt like the program’s theme, “Dragonfly,” was very fitting for spring. It made her think of walking through a garden with all the winged bugs. She was happy to support her daughter, who played in the University Band, and support what she thought was “treasure for the community.”
The University Band, however, started on a darker note. Conducted by Brett Bawcum, they performed the following:
- “The Cave You Fear” by Michael Markowski
- “On Shores of Endless Sea” by Kevin Day
- “España Cañi” by Pascual Marquina and arranged by Robert Longfield
- “Scrapin’” by Benjamin Horne
- “Illumination” by David Maslanka
“The Cave You Fear” was a suspenseful and mysterious piece, serving as a “thrilling call to adventure” that urged listeners to venture outside their comfort zones, according to the program note. Dalton Self, a junior mechanical engineering major and trombone player in the University Band, said this piece was the one he was most excited to play.
“It’s one of the more darker ones. There’s this really cool low brass feature towards the end, and because, you know, trombones, we kind of like that stuff,” Self said.
“On Shores of Endless Sea” was meant to represent a paradise of “immense beauty and majesty,” according to the program note. The piece was based on the hymn “Called by Earth and Sky,” which has the verse:
“Precious these waters endless seas, deep ocean’s dream, waters of healing, river of rain, the wash of love again.”
Rosenzweig said this was her favorite piece because it felt magical. She was reminded of Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” and said she could see herself on a boat, rowing along.
“España Cañi” is a popular pasodoble, a fast Spanish military march song. Andrew Niemann, freshman computer science major, plays trombone in the University Band. He said this piece was the most fun to play.
“Scrapin’” and “Illumination” were both energetic songs, with “Scrapin’” incorporating elements of trap that had the audience nodding their heads to the rhythm. “Illumination” had the goal of sharing creative energy with a community through music, the program note said.
Both Selft and Niemann expressed similar sentiments, saying they hoped their “Darkness into Light” performance drew more people to the music school who appreciated their musicianship.
“I think it’s especially important at this this time of year—a lot of students and adults start feeling burnt out. It’s really nice to take a moment to appreciate the fact that there is a transition between darkness to light, day into night, sadness into happiness, and I think that they portrayed that really well,” Rosenzweig said.
UGA Glee Clubs Embrace Unity With “Vive La Compagnie” Concert
The University of Georgia Glee Clubs echoed messages of unity at Hugh Hodgson Concert Hall on Tuesday night for their “Vive La Compagnie” concert, which translates to “Long Live the Company.”
“Singing together is one of the most human things you can do,” said Conductor Sarah Gallo. “We think it’s really special … it’s also just deep in our core.”
Both the men’s and women’s groups performed a variety of pieces. From a Bulgarian folk song to a song sung in Sámi, a language spoken by Indigenous people in the northern Scandinavian region, to a poetic ballad—the repertoire was diverse.
Perhaps the most exciting piece from the Women’s Glee Club program was “Ozdolu idu,” arranged by Philip Koutev and sung in Bulgarian style. Gallo said singing in Bulgarian style required a brighter sound, which was not a typical vocal placement for choral singing.
Not only did “Ozdolu idu” bring joy to the audience, but choir members were smiling and dancing along to it too. Katie Bethbrewer, a sophomore biological sciences major, is in her second semester at the Women’s Glee Club and said this was her favorite piece to perform. According to the program bulletin, this children’s song tells a story about colorful carts “bumping and jumping” down the road.
“The concert was just awesome. I love, love, love Dr. Gallow,” said Bethbrewer. “She always does such an amazing job picking such a wide variety of music. I’m so excited every semester to get to sing all the different kinds of songs.”
Cooper Hardy, a sophomore agricultural communication major, also noticed the variety of pieces and would love to see even more languages in the future. He, however, enjoyed the “quiet and lowkey” performance of Gwyneth Walker’s “Crossing the Bar” by the Women’s Glee Club the most. Alfred Tennyson wrote the poetry, which included lines like:
For tho’ from out our bourne of Time and Place
The flood may bear me far,
I hope to see my Pilot face to face
When I have crost the bar.
However, the namesake of the concert was the Men’s Glee Club “Vive La Compagnie” performance, arranged by Alice Parker and Robert Shaw. This piece matched a jaunty mood and faster pace like the Bulgarian piece. Braden Rymer, a baritone, had a solo.
Words in “Vive la compagnie” translated to “Should time or occasion compel us to part, vive la compagnie! These days shall forever enlighten the heart,” according to the program bulletin.
“I thought the whole idea of music bringing everyone together was a great way to highlight how the music school works,” said Hardy.
Tuesday’s concert was the last opportunity of the semester to see a Glee Clubs-only performance. Because of this, Gallo made an effort to recognize the graduating seniors in the choirs.
The Glee Clubs will combine with the other UGA choirs and UGA Symphony Orchestra to put on the “Dona Nobis Pacem” concert on April 26.
“Dona Nobis Pacem is an incredibly timely and really moving piece that is unfortunately really appropriate for our world today — it’s begging for peace,” said Gallo.
A few days before the concert, two UGA students—one current and one former: Wyatt Banks and Laken Riley, respectively—died on campus. Bethbrewer said many of the songs were about hope, finding a community and finding beauty in the state people find themselves in, which helped bring her peace among the tragedies.
“Getting to hear those words and get to sing those words and preach that to our community at this time is really empowering and helps, I think, bring hope to our campus,” said Bethbrewer.
The Men’s Glee Club ended on a positive note with their performance of the Georgia Medley. This included the tradition of calling the Dawgs and skit-like choreography to engage with the audience.
“It feels like you get to experience something that’s really intimate that these people have put so much time into—I feel like it is our duty to go out there and to show our support,” said Hardy.
