By Arren Joseph-White
On March 12th at 7:30pm, the Performing Arts Department here on campus provided a free show at the Ashmore Auditorium. The Annual Spring Concert, performed by the Wind and Jazz Ensembles, was a perfect way to welcome the new season. People piled into seats for a sweet hour of music beautifully played, conducted by Douglas Holsworth.
From the audience’s perspective, it was clear that Holsworth enjoyed his work. His passionate movements and clear direction proved he was there to direct the ensembles and provide a show where everyone can have fun. Each ensemble played 5 songs total, making for an even experience. The audience’s ability to remain respectful and non-disruptive through both sections made the whole thing run smoothly. Musical pieces flowed into one another, making for a wonderful night of springtime music. Simple visuals and an organized program also helped to make the night go easily.
Luckily, the night began on time, with the Wind Ensemble playing first for 30 minutes. They ended up playing various pieces varying from different time frames of music. The low lighting made it so that the focus was on the performers and their music. The Wind Ensemble made sure to play a relatively popular piece, “Amazing Grace,” which provided an uplifting and beautiful sound. The delicate playing of the arrangement was brought to a strong and rolling finish, leaving the audience with a hopeful and bright feeling. But the most impactful piece ended up being the final one, “Mars” from The Planets, by Gustav Holst.
The composition was bold and dark, yet it presented a powerful sound. It’s a strong and impending sound; some describe it as something from the Star Wars universe. A perfect way to finish the Wind section of the night.
After a brief 15-minute intermission, the Jazz Ensemble came in to finish off the night. They shifted gears from the classical sounds to funk smoothly, with a brief opening from Holsworth. Spotlight from stage directors and a different conducting style were also indicators of different music coming in. The Jazz Ensemble’s most prominent piece was an arrangement of “Fantasy” by popular funk band Earth, Wind, and Fire. The Ensemble’s version of this popular song excited the crowd and gave a new energy to the classic song. They thoroughly brought a new perspective to the song. And the finale was nothing short of fantastic.
The Jazz Ensemble’s keyboardist, Danylo Cherkashyn, even imitated the sound of a trombone in the final song, “Big Noise from Winnetka,” as an experiment and fun way to bring something new to the performance. The song, originally by Bob Haggart and Ray Bauduc, was elegant and cool with a swing that made it fun to listen to.
In between each song, Holsworth educated the audience with trivia about the song or the program; he discussed arrangement notes, composing process, time frame, and even theme of the songs played. More thorough information about each song was also in the program. Because of this, everyone in the audience got not only a night of good music but also left understanding a little bit more about the process.
In the end, the whole night ran wonderfully. Everyone left satisfied and light-hearted, with family and friends giving accolades and praise to their performers with flowers and good words. Students and other concertgoers left feeling lighter and ready for spring to come. For anyone who didn’t get to see the Spring Concert, there’s nothing to fret over. The Ashmore always has performances or events going on. Information can be found at performingarts.pensacolastate.edu/events/.