A night of music

The University of Idaho Administration Auditorium — filled with students, faculty and community members — fell quiet Thursday night as the Lionel Hampton School of Music Concert Band began to tune their instruments.

UI Band Director Jason Johnston broke the silence by walking to the podium and leaping into the program, beginning an evening of energetic musical entertainment.

The group was followed by the UI Wind Ensemble, directed by Alan Gemberling. Each played four pieces during the hour and a half long event — their first concert of the semester.

The UI Concert Band played “Gavorkna Fanfare,” “Hadrian’s Wall,” “O Magnum Mysterium” and “When Angels Weep.”

“Gavorkna” Fanfare was written by James Stamp, an American composer associated with the University of Pennsylvania. Stamp wrote the brass and percussion heavy piece with the intent to grab the audience’s attention.

“Hadrian’s Wall,” a haunting piece composed by Robert W. Smith, used straightforward melodies and dramatic changes in tempo and dynamics to portray peace and war in Roman times.

“O Magnum Mysterium,” a polyphonic chant originally composed in 1572, was transposed by Morten Lauridsen as a chorale for band.

“O Magnum Mysterium is beauty at its simplest,” said Johnston in an interview. “It makes you want to cry. It takes over your soul and enriches your spirit.”

“When Angels Weep” ended the UI Concert Band portion of the evening. The emotional yet jovial piece, composed by David Shaffer, focuses on the angel Gabriel, communicating even when angels weep, they still find joy in their work. The ending fanfare of the piece, in true Vandal fashion, can only be described as bold.

“I wanted pieces that were big and strong,” Johnston said. “I wanted to show off our giant brass section. Many of the pieces were heavy in double tonguing for trumpet and trombone. I wanted to show that off.”

The UI Wind Ensemble played “Pas RedoubléOp.86,” “Suite of Old American Dances,” “Paris Sketches” and “Celebrate/Celebration.”

“Pas Redoublé Op. 86,” composed by Camille Saint-Saëns, featured beautiful runs and a lively tempo.

Robert Russel Bennet’s “Suite of Old American Dances” contained five parts: Cakewalk, Schottische, Western One Step, Wallflower Waltz and Rag.

Gemberling said he had wanted to conduct this piece since he played it in high school, making it personally significant to him.

“Paris Sketches,” a piece composed by Martin Ellerby, contained four parts: Saint Germain-de-Prés, Pigalle, Père Lachaise and Les Halles. The prominence of the use of bells tied each part of the piece into the whole.

The final piece of the evening was composed by University of Idaho professor Daniel Bukvich. “Celebrate/Celebration” has been performed in Thailand, China, Montana and several other places. It is one of Gemberling’s favorite pieces from Bukvich, he said.

The piece featured a unique percussion section — most notably a fair amount of vocal percussion and noise makers. Gemberling’s favorite part of the concert came at the very end of this piece.

“That last chord, having everyone out in the hall … it was phenomenal,” said Gemberling, who is in his final semester at UI as a professor.

He said choose pieces for this concert he’d always wanted to conduct, as well as ones his students would enjoy.

“The next concert will be unique,” said Gemberling. “We will play another Bukvich piece, a piece composed by Ruby Fulton inspired by the Idaho state stone that she received a grant to compose and a piece by a former University of Idaho faculty composer.”

Johnston and the UI Concert Band is also planning for the future.

“I want to keep the kids interested,” said Johnston. “The next concert will be very emotional. We will be playing Foundry, a piece heavy in percussion and American Elegy for Band, which addresses the Columbine shooting. Next year will be fun, we will be playing some Harry Potter music. For now, I want to push them emotionally and see what we can do.”

Both ensembles played with beautiful tone quality. It was clear that the students were passionate about the pieces they were playing and the directors felt a deep connection to the pieces they chose, as well as the desires and skill sets of their students.

The students had remarkable control of their dynamics and ability to rapidly switch between tempos.

If the applause at the end of the evening was any way to judge, the concert was a resounding success. Keep an eye out for the next Lionel Hampton School of Music Concert —their performances never fail to impress.