Ouachita Stories

Dr. Sim Flora, Ouachita Baptist University professor of music and chair of the department of theory and composition, will perform as a special musical guest in “Tromblowin’ 2008: A Concert Celebrating the Musical Artistry of the Trombone.”

The concert will be held at Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Charlottesville, Va., on Oct. 26 at 2 p.m. and will feature a number of Flora’s gospel- and jazz-style arrangements.

Robert Graham, the founder of Mr. Jefferson’s Bones, a central Virginia professional trombone ensemble, has performed several of Flora’s trombone quartet and choir pieces with his group. Graham contacted Flora to ask if he would be interested in presenting a concert of his music.

“Needless to say, I jumped at it,” Flora said, “I’ve done many guest artist performances but none where they were so interested in my writing.”

During the Tromblowin’ performance, Flora will play the trombone along with Mr. Jefferson’s Bones and two collegiate trombone groups from the area, University of Virginia at Charlottesville’s Trombone Ensemble and James Madison University’s Trombone Choir. He will perform solos with each of the groups and will also perform pieces alone.

Flora described the Tromblowin’ performance as the pinnacle of a four-stop tour. Preceding Tromblowin’ he will perform at First Baptist Church in Marion, Ark. Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va. and Bluefield College in Bluefield, Va. Flora will also be a guest speaker and instructor for various music classes at the universities he visits.

For more information about this concert or to hear an audio sample of Flora’s trombone ensemble compositions, visit www.MrJeffersonsBones.com.

by Rebecca Rambin