NIC Wind Symphony presents 'Winds at Equinox'
Coeur d'Alene Press | UPDATED 7 years, 6 months AGO
The community is invited to a concert celebrating seasonal change, performed by the North Idaho College Wind Symphony. The concert, “Winds at Equinox,” will take place on the vernal equinox, Wednesday, March 20, at 7:30 p.m. in Schuler Performing Arts Center at Boswell Hall.
The concert will begin with Vincent Persichetti’s “O cool is the Valley,” which was first performed in 1972 and is based on a poem by James Joyce.
“There are few more universally admired contemporary American composers than Persichetti,” said NIC director of gands Bryan Hannaford. “This piece parallels the mood of the James Joyce poem, which is colorful but quiet at times requiring meaningful melodic playing and sensitive phrasing.”
The NIC Wind Symphony will also present a selection from Washington-based composer Russ Newbury. Newbury currently teaches at Hanford High School, but the “Noah Trilogy” was premiered in 1987 for the Montana State University Wind Ensemble, under the direction of Timothy Salzman. This three-movement work is based on Genesis chapters 6-7, which depicts such issues as God’s wrath with sinners and ultimately the flood itself, as portrayed by the band members.
“We are lucky to have Keith Nielsen and Dori Nielsen in the NIC Wind Symphony because they were in the group that originally premiered this work,” Hannaford said.
The Wind Symphony will also feature a thrilling multimedia performance of Eric Whitacre’s “Godzilla Eats Las Vegas!” This musical work features an interactive video to go along with the wild and terrifying sounds that the ensemble will produce.
The concert will conclude with “Aurora Awakes” by John Mackey. This piece is about the heralding of the coming of light. Aurora, the Roman goddess of the dawn, rises each morning and streams across the sky, heralding the coming of her brother Sol, the sun. Musically this piece is inspired by “Where the Streets Have No Name” by U2. Mackey quotes a guitar riff from the first minute of the song and builds the entire second half of the piece on it.
“We’re putting on a concert with very modern music that each tells a unique story. It will be a very exciting experience for all who attend,” Hannaford said.
This event is free and open to the public.
Information: 208-769-3424