Eastern Concert Band to Perform

Written by Kate Harner

Willimantic, CT -- The Department of Performing Arts at Eastern Connecticut State University will present Eastern's Concert Band at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 20 in Shafer Auditorium. The public is invited. Admission is free.

Kathryn Niemasik, part-time professor of music, will direct the band. The eclectic repertoire features American composers and themes, coinciding with Eastern's "Year of the Arts."

"One of our most moving pieces is Frank Ticheli's 'An American Elegy,'" says Niemasik. "Ticheli wrote it as a tribute to those who lost their lives in the Columbine High School shootings. The composition represents hope and is a stellar piece of music."

The program also features James L. Hosay's "Black Granite," a march dedicated to those who died in the Vietnam War. A highlight of the concert is Clare Grundman's "Concord," a piece commissioned by the United States Marine Band that puts an innovative twist on three traditional New England tunes: "Yankee Doodle," "America" and "The White Cockade." Other pieces include Robert W. Smith's fast-paced "To the Summit!"; Claude T. Smith's "Incidental Suite"; John Philip Sousa's "The Rifle Regiment March"; and selections from the Broadway musical "Wicked" by Stephen Schwartz and arranged by Jay Bocook.

The musicians who will perform have registered for the Music 107 Concert Band course, a unique course that teaches both student and community musicians on Wednesday nights.

For more information, contact Lana Raymond at (860) 465-5325 or raymondla@easternct.edu.