Rowan University’s Something Old, New, Borrowed, Blue was a night of music that filled up Pfleeger Hall on Oct. 30. With musicians clad in concert black, and their feet tapping along to the beautiful music, it was not only an event to hear but a sight to see.
The evening started with a performance by the Rowan University Saxophone Ensemble conducted by Noa Even. The ensemble performed Garrop’s “Give Me Hunger,” a serene, almost mysterious-sounding piece, a gorgeously full-sounding performance considering the only instruments are saxophones.
Next, the Rowan University Trumpet Septet performed Haas’s “Thermal Whiplash,” a piece that tangles between absolute intensity and calmness. In the climax of the song, the intense portion and calmness were played at the same time, creating a chaotically beautiful sound.
Then something strange happened, almost a performance within a concert for the audience. When the concert band began setting up and took their seats, suddenly all the musicians started to play a different song. A soloist walks in, and everyone starts stomping their feet in anticipation. The soloist began to play, then the musicians joined in, and everyone began to play along. Though this did not go on very long before, the conductor of the concert band, Megan Cooney, joined the ensemble and began to speak of the band’s selections.
Turner’s “Bock Fanfares” represented the “old” in the concert’s title. A piece that switched between militaristic and more whimsical elements, it was triumphant and grand. Coung’s “Diamond Tide” represented the “new” in the title of the concert. The song’s first movement was much more floaty and mystical, but had an edge of power to it. The second movement almost felt like the audience was stuck in a music box or clock in the best way. It was epic, continuing to grow and grow, then shrank, like melting a diamond under immense pressure.
Lauridesen’s “O Magnum Mysterium,” translated by Reynolds, was the ‘something borrowed’ of the title, represented in the translation. The piece was gentle and sliding, with a cinematic flair. Li’s “Starry Ocean” was the “blue” in the title, and as Cooney mentioned in opening remarks, an intriguing reflection of marine life. This was a glimmering piece that broadened and narrowed almost as though the audience was swimming through the ocean, with a small sense of danger always present.
That last piece of the night was Holst’s “Second Suite in F,” though not on theme with the title, essential to the concert nonetheless, with each movement drastically different. The first movement was a festive portion, playful with a grand sound. The second movement was melancholic and serene, a tinge of tragedy. The third movement, aptly named “Song of the Blacksmith,” is a regal-sounding piece that emulates a blacksmith’s metallic hits. The final movement was simply triumphant and was a beautiful end to the Holst portion of the concert.
Aedan Bonner, a math and music major, has been in the concert band for two semesters. Bonner found the second movement of Holst’s “Second Suite in F” particularly difficult for an oboe player.
“The Holst movement two has a lot of quieter moments that feature the upper winds and feature the instrument that I’m playing. It was really nerve-wracking for the first bit of rehearsals. Figuring that out and you know realizing what I needed to work on, but once I got there it became a fun challenge to overcome,” Bonner said.
Min Hwang is a junior music and psychology major who has been a part of the concert band for two years. Hwang is a multi-instrumentalist, with his primary instrument being the violin, but for the concert band, he performs the French Horn. Hwang was most excited for the audience to hear one piece in particular.
“I really like, we call it the Beetlejuice one, Diamond Tide. That one is really cool. I love really angsty music,” said Hwang.
Brandon Lattanzi is a freshman audience member who is a part of the Choral program, but is a regular concert-goer with friends.
“It was epic. Yeah, we came to see our friend, but we normally come to see the events anyway,” said Lattanzi.
The next upcoming performance for Rowan University’s College of the Arts is the Rowan University Jazz Band’s Nov. 6 concert through the Department of Music, which is free for Rowan students to attend with a Rowan ID.
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