Emma Kelsey – Staff Writer
The Spring Bands Concert will take place this Saturday, March 25th in the Chapel from 1:30pm to 3:30pm. The Gustavus Chamber Winds, Directed by Karrin Meffert-Nelson, Gustavus Wind Symphony, Directed by Dr. Heidi Johanna Miller, and Gustavus Wind Orchestra, Directed by James Patrick Miller will be performing.
Megan Rands, a Sophomore percussionist in the Gustavus Wind Orchestra (GWO), says that at this concert they will be performing as an ensemble numerous pieces of music that have been written in response to violent tragedies. “The music will be dark and heavy at times, however it will also reflect hope for peace,” Rand said.
Rand herself is specifically looking forward to hearing the “An American Elegy” piece by Frank Ticheli, which will be a combined performance between GWO and the Gustavus Wind Symphony (GWS). “Ticheli wrote the piece to remember those who were impacted by the Columbine shooting in 1999 and it will be incredibly moving to hear how it all comes together with both bands performing as one,” Rands said.
Sophomore Emily (“Emi”) Jono, a GWO harpist, says that the significance of this concert is to acknowledge the mass shootings in school campuses that have taken place across the country.
“Our music is going to stand against the violence by expressing the troubling emotions that music can help convey. James Patrick Miller and Heidi Johanna Miller chose these pieces for our concert to ‘better fit the seriousness and solemn nature of this program’. JPM also said in his email to the band members, ‘this is one of the heaviest, darkest, and most emotional programs I have ever put forward,’” Jono said.
Rands shares that GWO began preparation for this performance ever since they returned from their international tour in Spain and France, but they had to make some changes in response to a terrible tragedy. “Once the shooting at Michigan State occurred, our conductor rewrote out a program and we got new music. In order to accurately express the pieces and what is happening in the music, our conductor made sure to share the composer’s notes and what each song was about before we started rehearsing,” Rands said.
Jono shares that these pieces are a way for the performers to acknowledge and stand against violence, as well as express emotional hardships that come with these tragedies.
As far as Jono’s favorite piece, she says that the “American Guernica” piece by Hailstork stands out to her. According to Jono, it was written in remembrance of the 1963 bombing of the Baptist church in Birmingham, Alabama by white supremacists, which killed four young girls attending Sunday School.
“This piece really reflects all of the sadness, and other tearing emotions families went through. The instrumentation and other unique elements of this piece are incorporated in such a way that sounds unsettling and creates shivers. For example, the melody of ‘Jesus Loves Me’ is a familiar tune, yet is presented in a strikingly creepy and depressing way in this piece,” Jono said.
Jono is also looking forward to performing “Sentimentale” by Yagisawa, which will be conducted by Lauren Pankow, a member of GWO. “I enjoy this piece because it feels very different from the other dark songs. This song reminds me of love and brings me a sense of peace, which serves as a nice change from the other pieces related to violence,” Jono said.