The Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of Dr. John O’Neal, will open the concert with a varied program, including Sammy Nestico’s Basie Straight Ahead and John LaBarbera’s hard rocking Sassy Strut. Also featured will be brand new compositions from one of our nation’s premiere military jazz ensembles, The Jazz Ambassadors of the United States Army. Several works from their “Perspectives” initiative will be presented, including Vince Norman’s A New Standard and his tribute to cartoonist Charles Schulz, Goodbye Mr. Schulz.

The Symphonic Band, Dr. Mark Walters, director will perform some wonderful original band works along with an exquisite orchestral transcription. They’ll begin with Richard Saucedo’s light overture Whirlwinds followed by Frank Ticheli’s moving work Sanctuary featuring horn, clarinet, and flute solos. Ticheli uses the word sanctuary to describe a place of solitude, comfort, rest, prayer, and meditation but also suggest that it can be a place this is strong and imposing. Percy Grainger’s Children’s March is hardly a march in the traditional sense. Based on a very childlike melody, “Over the Hills and Far Away”, Grainger transforms this melody through many stages of this complex work. The transformations eventually become so abstract that the listener will begin to forget the simple origins of this simple melody. Fortunately, Grainger brings us back to conclude the work as simply as it begins.

American composer, Julie Giroux takes us to the edges of humanity in the powerful 2011 composition, K2. “The Savage Mountain”. Full of themes intended to depict images such as wind, blowing snow, hammering of ice screws and death, this is a work that is highly programmatic and will bring the listener to the edge of their seats.

Dmitri Shostakovich’s Waltz #2 is an orchestral transcription that has found its way into American pop culture in countless movie scores and television commercials. Immediately recognizable, it displays Shostaskovich’s ability to combine the sublimely melancholy melody that at times becomes joyously ceremonial. The symphonic band will conclude the evening’s program with an original classic for band, Prelude, Siciliano and Rondo by Malcolm Arnold. This suite again features soloist throughout the ensemble and ends with a rousing high-tempo Rondo movement.