Ouachita Stories

Ouachita’s Wind Ensemble will return from a March 8-10 tour of the Dallas area to record their sixth album and perform at Ouachita’s Jones Performing Arts Center (JPAC) at 7:30 p.m. March 12.

The on-campus performance will open with John Zdechlik’s “A Centennial Fanfare,” followed by Dwayne S. Milburn’s “American Hymnsong Suite,” Ralph Vaughan Williams’ “English Folk Song Suite” and J.S. Bach’s “My Jesus! Oh, What Anguish,” as freely transcribed by Alfred Reed.

The concert will continue with Roger Cichy’s “Geometric Dances” and David R. Gillingham’s “Mansions of Glory,” concluding with Joseph T. Spaniola’s “Escapade.”

“Mansions of Glory” was commissioned by alumni of Ouachita’s chapters of Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma in recognition of director Dr. Craig Hamilton for his years of dedication and service to the band.

The ensemble recorded their sixth album in JPAC over the March 8 weekend. The five previous discs are titled “Winds of Praise,” “Be Thou My Vision,” “And Can It Be,” “Zion” and “Sanctuary.” No title has yet been chosen for the new disc.

“These discs are international,” said Hamilton. “The neat thing about recording is that little bitty Ouachita gets to go all over the world. It’s a pretty cool deal.”

Hamilton also said “Sanctuary” recently received a positive review in Band World Magazine—an international publication for band directors.

“The top wind and percussion players are who we put in the wind ensemble,” Hamilton said. “It’s kind of like our ‘A’ team.”

This group goes on tour every year, sometimes overseas.

“We’ve been to Europe twice and Hawaii with this group,” Hamilton said. “In 2007 we went to Spain and Portugal.”

The group also emphasizes mission work to reach out when they go overseas.

“We not only do concerts,” Hamilton said. “Two of the concerts that we did in Spain and Portugal were fundraisers for orphanages and a fire department in one of the communities. We get to see the country, play our music and we also get to do some good while we’re there.”

The concert Thursday is free and open to the public. For more information, contact OBU’s School of Fine Arts at (870) 245-5129.

 

by Allison Grigsby