Two SEMO ensembles perform tonight

Editor's note: This story has been edited for clarity regarding the author of "Pineapple Poll."

The Southeast Missouri State University Department of Music is showcasing two of its ensembles at 7:30 p.m. today at the Bedell Performance Hall at the River Campus. The program, titled "War and Peace," features performances by the Southeast Wind Symphony and the Southeast Concert Band.

The Concert Band portion of the program will feature five senior music education majors taking the podium and directing works by Steven Reinecke, Percy Grainger, Charles Carter and John McKay. The student directors are Geoff Huff, Jennifer Miller, Nichole Hotop, Tyler Willis and Robert Davis.

The Southeast Wind Symphony's portion of the program will include sectional and soloist features and a balance of light melodies and marches.

"One piece, 'Pineapple Poll,' will feature our clarinets," said Robert Conger, associate professor of music at Southeast and director of the Southeast Wind Symphony. "Pineapple Poll" is a piece arranged by Charles Mackerras using the music of Gilbert and Sullivan.

"When their music came out of copyright in 1950, there was an Australian named Charles Mackerras who was an expert on Gilbert and Sullivan," Conger said. "He just stole from each operetta and created this pseudo-Gilbert and Sullivan ballet. That's something you won't hear every day."

Another piece the Wind Symphony is doing is "Mars, the Bringer of War" from Gustav Holst's "The Planets."

"There's going to be excitement generated, let me tell you," Conger said, "and that's the best thing about this concert, is that you can't buy it on a record; you've got to be there. That's live music."

The concert will also feature the reading of the program notes for each piece by Paul Thompson, instructor of flute at Southeast.

"Paul will read the program notes before each piece starts, which brings everybody into the frame of mind of the next piece," Conger said. "It makes it more interactive for the audience, and people can't always see that small print in the light during the performance."

Tickets are still available at the River Campus box office for today's performance until 4 p.m., and can also be purchased an hour before show time or by calling 651-2265.