Day of rehearsals ends with ensemble concert

The 2002 Southeast Missouri Honors Wind Ensemble rehearsed Saturday for a concert the same evening. 50 students were chosen by au from By Andrea L. Buchanan ~ Southeast Missourian

Students from all over Southeast Missouri were in Cape Girardeau Saturday as part of an honors program for musicians.

A concert by the 2002 Southeast Missouri Honors Wind Ensemble in Academic Hall Saturday night was the culmination of a day of rehearsal, individual lessons, section lessons and yet more group rehearsal.

Particularly tough was "Chant Rituals" by Elliot Del Borgo, which combined unexpected rhythms and melodies and required students to use their voices as well as their instruments.

Robert Gifford, coordinator of winds and percussion at Southeast Missouri State University, conducted the ensemble.

Several hundred students from 60 school districts auditioned to take part in the ensemble, and 50 were chosen.

For the concert, the group tackled other challenging pieces, like Alfred Reed's "Evolutions," Percy Aldridge Grainger's "Australian Up-Country Tune," and ended with Warren Barker's "A Galop to End All Galops."

A galop is a lively dance.

Gifford lightened the rehearsals with anecdotes about the composers. He told them that not only was Grainger a world-class pianist, he was a saxophonist. The eccentric composer wrote the "Australian Up-Country Tune" for his own wedding in 1928.

When the piece was introduced, some musicians walked out because featuring so many low-pitched reed instruments was such a different idea.

"Clearly he was insane, right?" Gifford joked.

Despite the program's title, the day wasn't devoted entirely to woodwinds and brass. The five percussion students were required to do far more than keep a beat. They showed off the results of their efforts with a pure drum piece called "Percussion for Five."

abuchanan@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 160