On October 9th, 2019, I attended the ODU Brass Choir concert titled ‘Song to the Moon’. The ensemble was rather small, consisting of 11 members mastering trumpets, trombones, bass trombones, tubas and euphoniums. Making up in quality what they lacked in quantity, the size of the ensemble did not diminish their enthusiasm or volume as they played loudly and clearly. They performed six pieces, some of which were divided into more than one movement, all of which were played nearly flawlessly. It was a delight to sit in the audience and hear them perform a wide variety of pieces. Expertly arranged, the concert consisted of six pieces, building to the premier ‘Song to the Moon’ and concluding with a standard ‘Fanfare’.
Full, loud and punctuating, the first piece played was ‘Fanfare und Intralude’ by Hans Melchior Brugk. The trumpets carried a melodic and bright sound throughout most of the piece, sounding almost like a cornet. During the fanfare segment of the piece the brass articulated everything sharply and precisely. The second half of the piece was a slower, legato-focused episode, dragging notes and carrying them into the next phrase. This piece reminded me of the overture 'The Barber of Seville'. I found it, amazing, well-performed and impressive. The following pieces ‘Divertimento’ by Leonard Salzedo and ‘Fanfare and Ballad’ by Carol Butts were equally enjoyable. As its name suggests, ‘Divertimento’, was hopeful and inviting, while ‘Fanfare and Ballad’ presented a more robust and regal sound.
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The title piece of the concert was ‘Song to the Moon’ from Antonin Dvorak’s ninth opera ‘Rusalka’. Originally written for an opera, the piece had to be arranged to suit a brass choir. The arranger, Cory Mixdorf, did an amazing job. This piece sounded beautiful coming from a full brass choir. As if to mimic the opening piece, ‘Song to the Moon’ had very sophisticated and high trumpet parts. Trumpet 1 played highly and brightly throughout the entirety, with other trumpets following suit. The piece sounded very rhythmic and homophonic throughout. The melody seemed to pass around the ensemble, quickly moving from musician to musician. It was like a game of hot potato; with the melody being passed around from one performer to the next. It never stayed with one section for too long, but was held for just the right amount of time, building anticipation for the next jump. Trumpet 1 led the group in terms of timbre and melody through most of the piece. Trumpet 1 had an amazing protracted and lengthy solo/melody. This piece featured substantial mimicry, call and response. The low brass would sing the melody, then the mid brass would echo it back. The trumpets would then repeat this same melody and pass it back to the low brass to finish off the phrase. This piece seemed to be in 3/8 which helped to nicely separate the phrases into concise segments while allowing them to bind together in line. This beautiful composition and arrangement made it a delight to listen to.
I greatly enjoyed this program for a variety of reasons. I especially appreciated the title piece and the caliber of selections and arrangements, making it a wonderful experience all around. The theatre was spacious and comfortable and the atmosphere was warm and inviting. The people organizing the event were responsive and helpful. Most importantly, the ensemble was nearly perfect. Every piece they played was a beautiful, melodic cacophony. Their pleasant sound filled the entire auditorium and was an absolute pleasure to listen to. The title piece really dragged me along and I felt like I was experiencing the opera too. They performed long, beautiful, drawn-out pieces, and also had short, loud, articulate pieces for contrast. The musicians wove a wonderful story with their instruments. It was a completely entertaining and breathtaking experience. I will be attending more of the ODU student ensemble events in the future.
In conclusion, the ODU Brass Choir did an amazing job with this concert. Everything was great in the organization and structure of the performance. The whole thing was an absolute joy to attend. It was a great opportunity to sit down and really relish and analyze music in a concert setting. Taking music theory in high school, I never had the opportunity to examine music at this level. This was honestly a refreshing and rewarding experience, bringing me back to my high school days of playing in Wind Ensemble and having fun in marching band. As previously stated, I loved every minute of this concert and hope to attend more in the near future.
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