Photo credit / Aubrey Abbott
On Tuesday, Oct. 17, the UT Martin Wind Ensemble held their first public performance of the season. This performance was located at the Fine Arts Building, inside the Harriet Fulton Theatre. It was titled “Classics and Anniversaries,” and conducted by Dr. John Oelrich. On a wide array of instruments, there were 65 performers in total.
The band performed five pieces for the audience. These pieces were Slava! by Leonard Bernstein, Norwegian March “Valdres” by Johannes Hanssen, William Byrd Suite by Gordon Jacob, Toccata Marziale by Ralph Vaughan Williams, and Festive Overture, Opus 96 by Dmitri Shostakovich. All of these pieces featured upbeat and vivacious melodies.
“I chose those pieces because they are all things that musicians need to know or have experienced,” Dr. Oelrich said in a personal interview. “Some of them were chosen for this date because it was that piece’s anniversary.”
“They played really well, and I was really proud of them. I am very thankful to work with such wonderful students. The performance was excellent and a great demonstration of their learning and growth as musicians,” Dr. Oelrich continued, showing nothing but enthusiasm towards his students and the concert’s successful outcome.
