Symphonic band features four composers

The University of Central Arkansas Symphonic Band kicked off its spring season Wednesday night at Reynolds Performance Hall with a concert that featured pieces by four different composers.
The compositions they performed were by composers Vaclav Nehybel, Girolamo Frescobaldi, Gordon Jacob and Henry Fillmore.
Each piece brought its own unique sound, which was aptly described by director Brantley Douglas before each one was played.
The first composition, simply titled “Symphonic Movement,” was a bombastic and seemingly spastic piece based on an eight-note series.
Sophomore Percussionist Dakota Atchley said “Symphonic Movement” was his favorite piece.
“It is difficult across the board, and there aren’t any easy parts,” he said. “It’s very symphonic.”
Atchley said he really enjoyed the whole experience, and that he had a “ballin’ bell part;” which he danced to while playing.
“Every instrument is pretty fun,” he said. “It’s nice to be able to play a bunch of different things.”
Douglas said the second arrangement, “Toccata,” was a keyboard work of the Baroque period.
Its mellow, tonal and especially powerful sound gave the audience a look into music from the 17th century.
Sophomore Blake Bost said “Toccata” was his favorite piece and that, by itself, made the event worth attending.
“The ‘Toccata’ was definitely the best,” he said. “It was beautiful.”
Bost said that as a former band member, he could see that the UCA Symphonic Band has improved as a whole.
“I heard them perform last year and they weren’t as good,” he said. “The new director has done them good.”
Atchley said he could also see vast improvement in the group.
“Most of the players couldn’t even play through these the first time,” he said. “[The performance] tonight wasn’t perfect, but it was pretty close.”
After “Toccata” ended, its final note resonating throughout the hall, the audience clapped appreciatively as the band began its third composition: “An Original Suite.”
Douglas said it was a unique composition written for a ‘military’ band.
He said the British piece consisted of three movements: “March,” “Intermezzo” and “Finale.”
Douglas said “Intermezzo” had an Irish flair to it.
Sophomore Nathan Kuhnert said he was able to appreciate the flair.
“‘An Original Suite’ was possibly my favorite arrangement,” he said. “I especially loved the bass saxophone solo. It was pretty cool.”
The final piece, a march titled “Americans We,” celebrated American patriotism with its up-tempo and lively orchestration.
Littered with staccato beats, the composition ended the show in style.
“It was nice to end it like that,” Kuhnert said. “Most of the other songs were slower paced. While I’ve heard and played a lot of marches throughout high school, this one was unique and entertaining.”
The march also has some wonderful history behind it.
“’Americans We’ is known along with Souzas’s ‘The Stars and Stripes Forever’ and Bagley’s ‘National Emblem,’” Douglas said, of how it helped shape and celebrate American patriotism.
As “Americans We” faded triumphantly, many members of the audience jumped to their feet, applauding with enthusiasm.
Douglas thanked the audience for attending and congratulated the band members on their “excellent performance.”
As the audience made its way toward the exits, Atchley said he thought he could confidently say he could sum up how everyone in attendance felt about the event.
“I loved it,” he said.