By Ainsley Green, Staff Writer
On Friday, April 12, the Sunderman Conservatory Wind Symphony performed their last major concert of the year, entitled “Masterworks & Premieres” for its variety of classic band repertoire combined with new, contemporary pieces. The show began at 8 p.m. and took place in the Majestic Theater in downtown Gettysburg, with an audience made up of students and community members.
Wind Symphony is the premiere band ensemble at Gettysburg College and is audition-based. It is made up of musicians from all class years and a variety of majors, as well as several faculty and community members filling the spots of certain instruments.
Director of Bands Dr. Russell McCutcheon introduced the show and in the spirit of Get Acquainted Day happening on April 13, he stated, “I’m so glad to welcome you to this performance tonight. It’s a very special welcome to the accepted students in the Gettysburg College Class of 2028!”
The first piece of the concert, “Vous avez du feu?” by Emmanuel Sejourne, caught the audience’s attention when four students stood at the front of the stage and the lights went completely dark. The studengs each held two lighters and flicked them on and off at certain times to create a glittering array of sparks, with the rhythms becoming more quick and complex as the piece progressed. Not only was it visually beautiful, but all of the clicking sounds from the lighters created an unconventional music, showing the versatility and limitlessness of percussion. The Sunderman Conservatory Percussion Ensemble is a group that meets once a week to prepare selections just for percussion and currently includes Cristian Banks ’26, Rock Braten ’25, Melanie Flynn ’27 and Jacob Kennell ’24.
The first performance of the Wind Symphony as a whole was “Dispatches from the Anthropocene,” a piece by contemporary composer Armando Bayolo that made its Commission Consortium premiere in this concert. The five movements had distinct names, including “I. Manifest Destiny,” “II. Carousel of Progress,” “III. Follow the Leaders (after Isaac Cordal),” “IV. Manifest Destiny: World on Fire” and “V. Thunberg’s Children,” helped give context for a musical story about the uncertainty of the geological anthropocene period in which we are living, which has been impacted significantly by human activity. This unease was conveyed through intense and solemn passages in the music, with dissonances and an overall sense of dystopia through the style of the music.
McCutcheon took to the stage once again to say some words about the seniors of the Wind Symphony, who were performing their last concert with the ensemble in their undergraduate career: “We appreciate what you’ve done for this ensemble and for everyone in it. We hope we’ve given back to you musical experiences and memories that will last a lifetime.”
The seniors, Jack Kane ’24, Christa Calderwood ’24, David Grant ’24, Jacqueline Morin ’24, Jacob Hunkins ’24, Abbey Jemison ’24, Jess Schaefer ’24 and Jacob Kennel ’24, received a round of applause from the audience when they stood to be recognized.
Next on the program was the beloved “Second Suite in F, Op. 28 No. 2” by Gustav Holst, who composed many standards for wind bands that are considered essential and familiar repertoire. The first movement, “I. March,” encapsulated upbeat versions of recognizable British folk music. Next, the slow second movement, “Song Without Words: ‘I’ll Love My Love,’” took a more melancholic tone and included beautiful melodies from many soloists in the ensemble. A complete shift in tempo and mood rang throughout the theater with the third movement, “Song of the Blacksmith,” depicting a scene with metal clashes and sparks flying. To finish the piece, the fourth movement, “Fantasia on ‘The Dargason,’” brought the familiar tune “Greensleeves” into a jig-like celebratory finale.
Before the final piece, Sunderman Conservatory of Music Director Dr. James Day thanked the people who made the premieres and collaborations of the concert possible: “[The donor-restricted fund established by F. William Sunderman in 1983] has continued to grow and so has his vision. This evening’s concert is especially unique in that our guests will be performing Avner Dorman’s virtuosic percussion concerto.”
The concert ended with this piece composed by Conservatory faculty member Dr. Avner Dorman entitled “Spices, Perfumes, Toxins!” Dorman was also the guest conductor for this final piece of the night. The percussion was the shining star of the composition, and the Wind Symphony was able to collaborate with two professional percussionists based in New York City courtesy of the Gettysburg College Sunderman Chamber Music Foundation Concert Series. John Tadlock and Zoey Cobb were the soloists, standing in front of the ensemble and racing around the stage to various instruments such as marimba, vibraphone, bells and drums. Their expertise in percussion was evident in their amazing technical skill and musicianship, combined with the talents of the Wind Symphony created a unique and special musical listening experience for the audience.
Make sure to look for many more upcoming Conservatory concerts, recitals and events to hear a variety of music from students all around campus sharing their commitment and passion for the arts.
