Salem Symphonic Winds will conclude its 48th season with An Impulse to Soar on Sunday, June 11, at 3 pm in Rose Auditorium at South Salem High School.
John Skelton will conduct the program featuring three selections, including the title work by Salem composer David A. Jones and symphonies by Aaron Copland and Julie Giroux.
David Jones
Composer - “Impulse to Soar”
The concert will feature the Oregon premiere of the band version of An Impulse to Soar, originally written for the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble. David Jones was commissioned by a consortium of seven ensembles, including Salem Symphonic Winds, to transcribe the work for concert band. The expanded work takes full advantage of all the sounds and soloists within the band.
“I began writing this work in April 2020, when the world was shutting down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, performances everywhere were being canceled, and life was filled with anxiety, uncertainty, and fear. I felt inspired to write something filled with optimism and hope for the future,” said Jones. “The title of the piece is based on a quotation by Helen Keller:
‘One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar.’
When deciding on the title, I felt that the Helen Keller quotation perfectly embodied this spirit of joy and optimism in the face of hardship, courage in the face of oppression, and hope in the face of fear.”
Aaron Copland
Composer - Third Symphony
Aaron Copland has long been celebrated as the “Dean of American Composers.” His Fanfare for the Common Man was written in 1942, as America was entering World War II, inspired partly by a speech by Vice President Henry Wallace, proclaiming the dawning of the “Century of the Common Man.” It has since become one of his best-known and popular works. The fanfare appears in many guises in Copland’s Third Symphony. There are hints of it with fragments presented in the first three movements. In movement four, it receives a quiet, reflective introduction from woodwind soloists before a full presentation in all its glory from the brass and percussion, with a wonderful exploration of all of its possibilities from the full ensemble to complete the work.
SALEM SYMPHONIC WINDS brings the Third Symphony to Salem courtesy of the transcription for band by
James Hile, Director of Band at Elmhurst University.
Julie Giroux
Composer - Symphony #6, Battle of Culloden
In Symphony No. 1 – Culloden, Julie Giroux celebrates everything Scottish – at least everything that happened in Scotland between 1745 and 1746. On 16 April 1746, around 1,300 men were slain in the Battle of Culloden. Giroux reflects on the history and culture by arranging more than twenty-four tunes from the time. You won’t encounter any bagpipes or fiddles in the hall, but a wealth of soloists in the band will step up to bring you this rich musical panorama. The symphony and our season will conclude with ample time left in the evening to find and retire to your favorite dining spot for haggis and an appropriate beverage. While the wearing of kilts and sporrans to the concert is not required, it will be warmly tolerated by the band.
The concert will be presented in the beautiful new Rose Auditorium at South Salem High School. The auditorium is accessible via a ramp next to the main entrance and from the lobby to the lower level of the auditorium via an elevator. The auditorium entrance is located at 700 Howard Street SE in Salem. Seating in the reserved section is available for $25. General admission seating is available for adults for $20, Senior Citizens (60 & older) for $15, College/University Students for $10, and Youth (18 & under) for $5. Oregon Trail Card holders may purchase available seats after 2:15 pm on the day of the showfor $5. Processing fees are added for credit card purchases.
For more information contact:
info@SalemSymphonicWinds.org
(503) 362-0485