Performing a concert with unique flair, Andrews’ Wind Symphony will be taking the Howard Performing Arts Center stage Saturday, Oct. 25, at 7:30 p.m. to share an atmosphere of grandeur. Directed by Denisse Santos-Gooden, the ensemble will be presenting “Echoes of Majesty,” featuring compositions reflecting on the splendor of cathedrals and mountains.
When Santos-Gooden was searching for pieces for the group to perform, the criteria included high quality and originality in composition. While difficult, this search resulted in a selection of music that carried a common theme: the selections had to do with majestic places—“cathedrals, and mountains, and forests, and places that are grand whether in nature or humanly built,” she told me.
Over the course of nine pieces—most of which have “cathedral” in the title—the Wind Symphony will bring the audience on an aural journey of magnificence. The opening fanfare, “Cenotaph,” represents majestic monuments; it will be followed by “Cathedrals,” which evokes a near-ancient, august cathedral in Venice, Italy, called St. Mark's Basilica. “Cathedral Grove,” which flutist Bethany Hawkins (sophomore, music composition) said feels like a forest, depicts a Canadian park with the largest trees in the world. The symphony will also be playing a well-known, if demanding, piece called “Elsa's Procession to the Cathedral.”
One of the most unconventional pieces is “Klang,” a song that features unorthodox percussion (including mixing bowls!) to mimic the sound of building the majestic edifices represented in other songs. Also in the repertoire are “La Cathedrale Resiliente,” a composition about the rebuilding of Notre Dame’s cathedral after the 2019 fire; “The Lincoln Imp,” which playfully portrays architectural gargoyles; and “Old Churches,” a song reminiscent of church bells.
The closing piece is Santos-Gooden’s favorite: “Cathedral Mountain,” which reflects the natural beauty of mountain ranges. “I feel like it just brings everything back together,” she said. “Some of the pieces that we're playing are very atonal and ethereal, and not really what we're used to hearing a band play. And then that final piece is very harmonic. It kind of brings you back home after hearing all of these other sounds.”
This year’s fall concert is different from those that have happened in the past: Santos-Gooden noted that “it's more of a symphonic type of concert.” Rather than the sounds one would expect from a wind symphony, this concert sometimes has the band sounding like a string symphony, or even an organ. According to Shira Frost (junior, aviation), this diversity of sound is an acquired taste: “I like most of them personally, but I know there are other people who don’t feel the same way. I like that some of the pieces are more challenging than what we usually do; I really feel like my skills are actually being challenged.”
Among the students I talked to, “challenge” was a common word. Valeria Trevino (junior, animal science), a trumpet player, mentioned last-minute changes and reorganized seating as difficult, forcing her to learn “different ways of communicating.” Besides that, she said that she appreciated the contemporary nature of the songs. Hawkins said she was a fan of the hidden melodies and the more explicit ones of the more lyrical pieces.
The students have worked hard to bring these majestic pieces to life. And as Santos-Gooden reminded, “There are 65 people performing in this concert. Most of them are students here at the university, and it would be so great to see more students in our audience supporting our students.”
To experience a monumental tour of majesty through music, and to support the Wind Symphony’s students, come to the HPAC this Saturday night at 7:30. Tickets are on sale for $8.50 ($6.50 for students and $1.50 for children) and can be purchased here.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.