Symphony Band to Perform Friday, November 21 at Hill Auditorium

Betsy Goolian

November 2008

A downhill ski run, a haunting poem, the beauty of folk singing, and the power of operatic drama all come together to create a stunning bill of fare featuring the University Symphony Band under the baton of Michael Haithcock, Director of University Bands. The downhill ski run is Slalom by U-M composition grad Carter Pann (MM ’96, DMA ’04). Says Pann of the work, “Slalom is a taste of the thrill of downhill skiing. The work is performed at break-neck speed throughout to showcase the ensemble’s volatility and endurance.” Pann got his inspiration for this work while skiing down the Rockies, under headphones, listening to his favorite classical repertoire. Also on the program is Cantina by David Rakowski, a widely performed young composer whose influences range from the Viennese School to Stravinsky to jazz, funk, and rock. Percy Grainger’s ever-popular Lincolnshire Posy is based on folksongs Grainger collected in Lincolnshire, England in the early 1900s. He dedicated the work to “the old folksingers who sang sweetly to me and each movement is intended to be a kind of musical portrait of these singers.” Also on the program are works by Joseph Schwanter and Richard Wagner.

The concert is at 8PM at Hill Auditorium and is free.