Concert Band and Jazz Ensemble Ii to Perform April 25

by Richard Veit

Two of Baylor University's instrumental music groups-Concert Band and Jazz Ensemble II-will present a joint concert at 8 p.m. Thursday, April 25, in Jones Concert Hall.
The Concert Band is conducted by Gerald Luckhardt, assistant professor of music and associate director of bands. Jazz Ensemble II performs under the direction of Vern Sielert, lecturer in jazz studies.
The first half of the program will feature the Concert Band, which will open with the playfully rhythmic "A Merrie Musick" by Philip Gordon, an innovative pioneer in composing music for school bands and orchestras. Next will come William A. Schaefer's arrangement of 11 "Ukrainian Folk Songs" by Halsey Stevens, a noted Bartók scholar who studied under Ernest Bloch and taught for many years at the University of Southern California. Graduate student Julie Cromar will conduct these folk song settings.
David R. Holsinger, who has composed extensively for bands, currently serves as music assistant at Shady Grove Church in Grand Prairie. The Concert Band will perform his "On a Hymnsong of Philip Bliss." The band will conclude its portion of the concert with a performance of John Philip Sousa's well-known march, "King Cotton."
Following intermission, Jazz Ensemble II will take the stage with a set of four pieces-Sammy Nestico's arrangement of the popular "Mack the Knife" from "The Threepenny Opera" by Kurt Weill, "Blues for Nat" by Brad Turner, Matt Harris's arrangement of "Angel Eyes" by Matt Dennis, and Harris's own "North Shore Morning."
This concert is free and open to the public. For more information, call the Baylor School of Music at 755-3991.