On Sunday, March 16, the Eastern Shore Wind Ensemble, the community concert band based in Chestertown, will present “A Musical Potpourri,” a program including both longstanding gems of the symphonic band repertoire and contemporary pieces composed for band. The free program, conducted by Dr. Keith Wharton, will begin at 4:00 p.m. at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Cross and High streets, Chestertown.
Roland Barrett’s “Fanfare and Jubilation,” written in 2007, will open the program. Barrett intended the piece to celebrate the joy and exuberance that musicians bring to their band programs.
“The Ides of March,” Sean O’Loughlin’s 2013 dramatic composition, reflects his love of modern film music with its vibrant rhythms and passionate scoring. He sought to represent musically the 44 B.C. coup d’etat in the ancient Roman government as described in Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar.
Clare Grundman’s beautifully contrasting four-part “Hebrides Suite,” based on folk songs of the Hebrides Islands west of the Scottish mainland, has become a favorite of both musicians and audiences since its publication in 1962.
The three pieces that follow—“Rampage,” by Todd Stalter; “The Escape,” by Marvis Rorie, Jr.; and “Drammatico,” by Larry Daehn—are sometimes-aggressive works, though with introspective sections, that were composed within the last decade.
Robert Sheldon’s “Choreography” (2009) draws its inspiration from dance movements—some fast-paced and bold, some lyrical and flowing—found in contemporary stage, ballet, and theatrical productions.
“Impact,” by Sean O’Loughlin, will be the final contemporary piece before the program concludes with British composer Gustav Holst’s “First Suite in E-flat,” one of the masterworks and cornerstones of band literature. Although completed in 1909, the suite (consisting of a chaconne, an intermezzo, and a march) was premiered and published in the early 1920s.
Dr. Wharton has been the musical director and conductor of the band since its founding in 2001. He also is on the instructional staffs of Kent County High School, Washington College, and the Upper Chesapeake Summer Center for the Arts.
The band always welcomes new members of all ages to join, without audition or fee. For more information, call 410-778-2829 or 410-810-1834. The band’s last concert of the season will be on Sunday, May 18. The band is partially supported by a grant from the Kent County Arts Council.
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