Wind Symphony Concert At Longwood University

The best part of music is the harmonious sounds that come from combining more than two instruments together. On November 3, at 7:30 pm the Wind Symphony by the department of music at Longwood University performed in Jarman Auditorium.

The audience sat patiently waiting for the conductor to come out on stage, the students in the Wind Symphony also waited patiently while testing their instruments and warming up. A student was in charge of warming up the students as a whole before the conductor, Dr. Gordon Ring, entered the stage.

"I heard about the performance because my friend was in it," said sophomore Erin Eaton. "My favorite song was the Bersagliere (The Italian Riflemen) March by Edoardo Boccalari."

A series of songs were played after the March, some of the artists/conductors were modern and others were not as modern. In total there were five different songs, but two of the songs had around five different parts of the song. Overall the music was great, all of the members of the Wind Symphony seemed very comfortable with the songs.

"I love Wind Symphony because it gives me an opportunity to pursue my passion for music," said sophomore Brady Smith. "My favorite favorite song was Hymn to a Blue Hour by John Mackey. I always connect with one or two pieces on an emotional level on every concert, and that [song] struck a resounding cord with me."

An older song can still be relevant to a younger generation. It was nice to see how well the students were able to play and appreciate the older songs. A lot can be shown and learned from history and songs that have made history. It is more important for an artist to learn or gain influence from other artists and sources when trying to come up with a new piece.

A personal favorite during the performance was seeing different members having their own solo parts. It can be important for individuals to have the spot light sometimes, it also changed the song when a part was only played by one instrument.

In the future there will be more more events, but there may not be another Wind Symphony concert until the spring semester. Other musical events can be found on the Longwood University website.