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Ouachita to present PRISM instrumental concert April 25

Ouachita to present PRISM instrumental concert April 25.April 18, 2017 - Hannah Hines

Ouachita Baptist University’s annual PRISM instrumental concert will be presented Tuesday, April 25, at 7:30 p.m. The concert, which is free and open to the public, will be held in Jones Performing Arts Center on the Ouachita campus.

The annual PRISM concert features a variety of ensembles from Ouachita’s Division of Music. The collaborative program includes all instrumental faculty as well as most of the instrumental ensembles on campus. However, this is not just a typical band concert.

“The PRISM concert is one of my favorite events of the year,” said Dr. Craig Hamilton, coordinator of instrumental studies and director of bands at Ouachita. “The concert is unique in that the audience is seated in the middle of the auditorium and the ensembles surround them with music.

“Another unique element,” he added, “is that the entire program moves from one ensemble to the next without applause – continuous music, always changing colors, textures and timbres. The audience is in for an extraordinary evening of wonderful music!”

“The Prism concert is my all-time favorite concert to participate in because it's non-stop music being performed literally all around the audience. I love how all of our ensembles get to perform together ­– and hearing music from other groups that I'm not in as well,” said Ashley Lovely, a senior instrumental music education major from Van Alstyne, Texas. “Making music is so fun and when we get to share that joy with our audience, it’s worth all of the hours spent rehearsing.”

Throughout the concert, several different ensembles will perform. The Ouachita Wind Ensemble will perform “Toccata Marziale” by Ralph Vaughan Williams and “Groovy Loops” by J. Scoot McKenzie.

The Combined Band will perform “Vesuvius” by Frank Ticheli as well as “Clowns” by Philip Parker.

A woodwind duet of Ashley Lovely and Kristin Grant, assistant professor of music, will play “Chôros No. 2 for Flute & Clarinet” by Heitor Villa-Lobos. They will then be joined by Danielle Schaal, a junior biology major from Fayetteville, Ark.; Abby Morse, a freshman English major from Georgetown, Texas; and Hailey Whitham, a junior mass communications major from Rogers, Ark.; and together the quintet will perform “Ballet of Chickens in Their Shells” by M.P. Moussorgsky, arranged by Clarke S. Kessler.

A flute quartet of Kristin Grant; Shirley Chidester, a freshman worship arts major from Arkadelphia, Ark.; Tiffany Dee, a freshman business administration major from Pearcy, Ark.; and Betsy Patterson, a freshman mathematics major from Garland, Texas, will perform “Notturno” by Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf.

Pan Jouvet, OBU’s beginning steel drum ensemble, will then perform “Brown Skin Girl” by Norman “King Radio” Span.

OBU’s West African Drumming Ensemble will perform the traditional West African piece “Malinke: Sofa-Moribayassa.”
Percussionists Van O’Rorke, a senior instrumental music education major from Hot Springs, Ark., and Brandon Lovelady, a senior instrumental performance major from Hot Springs, Ark., will play “Two Plus One” by Ivan Trevino, and percussionist Zach Wills, a senior worship arts major from Norphlet, Ark., will play “Triptych Boom” by Chad Floyd.

Hailey Whitham, a sophomore mass communications major from Rogers, Ark.; Seth Daniell, a junior music composition major from Arkadelphia, Ark.; and Dr. Heather Thayer, assistant professor of music; will then perform “Title Trippery No. 1” by Lowell E. Shaw.

A brass quintet of Seth Daniell; Blake Turner, a junior instrumental performance major from Fort Worth, Texas; Justin Trostle, a freshman music major from El Dorado, Ark.; Jason Potts, a senior instrumental performance major from Springdale, Ark.; and Rachel Clifton, a senior instrumental music education major from Alma Ark., will perform “Suite from the Monteregian Hills (March)” by Morley Calvert.

Additional selections include: A brass ensemble playing “Fanfare pour preceder La Peri” by Paul Dukas; a woodwind ensemble performing “Harmonie in Bb, Op. 78, Movt. 2 Minuetto and Trio” by Franz Krommer; a saxophone ensemble performing C. Custer’s arrangement of “Over the Rainbow” by Harold Arien and “Sir Patrick” by Philippe Geiss; and a trombone choir playing “Amazing Adventures of the Escapist: I. Main Title” by Greg Danner.

For more information about Ouachita’s instrumental program, visit www.obu.edu/band. For more information about the concert, contact Dr. Craig Hamilton at [email protected] or 870-245-5137.

 

By Hannah Hines // Photo by Brent Northington

April 18, 2017

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