UW Symphonic and Campus Community Bands Evoke ‘Spring and Summer’ April 13

The University of Wyoming Campus Community and Symphonic bands will present a vibrant program of music evoking the theme of "spring and summer" Monday, April 13, at 7:30 p.m. in the Buchanan Center for the Performing Arts concert hall.

Tickets are available at https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/uwyo/6984/event/1466257, in person or at (307) 766-6666 at the Performing Arts box office, Monday through Friday, noon-6 p.m., and one hour before performances.

The Campus Community Band will open the concert with a selection of pieces celebrating the advent of spring. The set begins with Randall Standridge's definitive work "Awaken!," a British-style fanfare evoking blooming daffodils and new growth. The program continues with Joseph Haydn's masterful "Concerto in E-flat," highlighting the historic, innovative "keyed trumpet."

Shifting to the lighter side of the season, Brian Beck's "Swarm" offers an infectious, sensory experience of pesky spring insects. "Mil Estrellas," by Jorge Vargas, brings warmth with a lively Spanish paso doble, followed by W. Francis McBeth's "Chant and Jubilo." The celebrated two-movement work for concert band blends a sensitive, modal "Chant" based on a ninth-century Greek hymn with an energetic "Jubilo" fanfare. The set ends with "American Salute" from Morton Gould, a patriotic work based on the Civil War song "When Johnny Comes Marching Home," popularized as a lively "salute to America" during World War II.

The Symphonic Band's set celebrates summer through baseball and seasonal imagery, featuring four distinct thematic pieces. Kevin Day's "Shimmering Sunshine" depicts the intense, shifting light of high noon, bouncing the theme, or "shimmers," from instrument to instrument to highlight the beauty and power of sunshine. Ryan George's "Firefly" captures a whimsical, childhood sense of wonder inspired by a backyard evening. Jack Stamp's "Pastime" offers a nostalgic tribute to baseball history, woven around melodies from the seventh-inning stretch anthem. Finally, John Philip Sousa's march "The National Game," composed specifically to honor the National League's 50th anniversary, concludes the set.