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Tuesday, February 25, 2025

Longwood Wind Ensemble Leaves Audience with Chills

   Audience members filed into Jarman Auditorium on Tuesday night, probably expecting another typical concert with the usual mix of classical and modern songs, dynamic swells and generic melodies. But they were wrong, so, so wrong.

   After a quick tuning note was played, Conductor Dr. Gordon Ring, professor of Music, crossed the stage and raised his baton to begin the concert. A crescendo-ing cymbal roll at the beginning of the first piece, “Mother Earth (A Fanfare)” brought in the rest of the band with a bang. However, the dramatic and loud sequences didn’t last long; before you knew it, the band had already segued into a sweeter and calmer melody. This didn’t last very long either. In fact, the band seemed to be back to their original dark and dramatic melody in no time. This song, full of dramatic surprises and dark low brass sounds can best be described as short and terrifyingly beautiful, always keeping the audience on their toes.

   The second song of the concert, “First Suite in E-flat for Military Band, Op. 28, No. 1” continued the theme of dramatic surprises laid out in the first piece. It began with a slow and sad, brass filled melody before the woodwinds joined in and helped change the mood with their faster and happier melodies. The two groups of instruments then continued to trade off their melodies, before bringing the first part of the suite to a close.

   With less than a second’s break, the band quickly moved into the next part of the suite. This section featured a playful tambourine harmony alongside the bright and seemingly triumphant melody. This bright feeling continued on into the third section of the suite, but not for long. The winds moved into a smooth and simple melody featuring beautiful lines by the clarinets. However, that melody didn’t last long either; the band quickly transitioned into a louder and faster melody for a while before ending the suite with a dramatic emphasis on the last note.

   Ring then took a short break from conducting to give the third piece a special introduction. As a tradition, Longwood’s Wind Ensemble tries to feature pieces from newer composers, some that haven’t been heard before. They continued this tradition Tuesday night by giving the debut performance of “To Spring” written by Jonathan Wyatt, a junior at Randolph-Henry High School in Charlotte County.

   You never would have known that this piece was written by someone so young. With its dramatic, dynamic swells and abrupt melody changes, this song, like others before it, kept the audience on their toes. The piece also featured beautiful trumpet melodies and remarkable percussion harmonies. The audience responded to the piece with astounding applause as the young composer joined Ring onstage to take a bow.

   The fourth song, “MetroDance” was unlike any other piece featured in the concert. Instead of dramatic dynamics and surprising sforzandos (emphasized notes/beats), this song began with a rather repetitive and rhythmic melody that continued to be traded off between the instruments until the end. While the melody may not have been the most entertaining, the instruments still played it beautifully. Not to mention the percussionists seemed to be having fun in the back with their entertaining rhythm that added a little flair to the otherwise simple piece.

   “Angels in the Architecture,” the final piece, began like none other. A vocalist hidden in the balcony represented an angel as she sang a classic 19th century Shaker song. Down on the main stage, percussionists were swinging vacuum pipes that created chilling hum as the keyboardist coaxed a note out of the edge of a wine glass. This serenity didn’t last long as the trombones and low brass began to interject with dissonant and random beats that quickly drowned out the vocalist. The rest of the band joined in soon after for a dramatic unison melody causing a few audience members to jump out of their seats,overcome with chills.

   The song didn’t end there, though. Instead, it kept going, featuring countless melodies through each instrument at the same time, as well as a few seemingly random squeaks. It was overwhelming yet beautiful. After transferring into a smoother, more typical melody, the band went back to the original theme with the swinging pipes and dramatic off beats. There was a slow build up to the end with a beautiful harmony in all of the wind instruments before the band gradually tapered off and Ring lowered his arms to signify the end.

   Surprise was written across the faces of every audience member throughout this entire concert. It wasn’t typical; it was terrifying, suspenseful, beautiful and sweet all in one. Bravo, Wind Ensemble. You put on a concert that will not be forgotten.