Bluffton University's Concert Band and Jazz Ensemble will take center stage Saturday, Oct. 30, at the university's annual fall instrumental concert, at 7:30 p.m. in Yoder Recital Hall. The concert is free and open to the public.
Dr. Jeffrey Boehm, professor of music, conducts the Concert Band, which will perform five numbers by Russian composers. Rimsky-Korsakov and Shostakovich will be represented, and Brandon Fullenkamp, a Bluffton senior from Wapakoneta, will conduct "Pictures at an Exhibition," one of two pieces by Modest Mussorgsky on the program.
"Some of the greatest music ever written in the Western orchestral tradition has come from the pens of the Russians," said Boehm, explaining his choice for the theme. "I chose music that I thought would not only provide a quality musical experience for our students and audience members, but also help to create a window into another part of our world."
The Jazz Ensemble, directed by Dr. Adam Schattschneider, professor of music, will present six numbers, including "It Had to Be You," by Gus Kahn and Isham Jones; Wynton Marsalis' "Jump"; and "Skylark," by Johnny Mercer and Hoagy Carmichael.
Vocal soloist on "Skylark" will be Dr. Crystal Sellers, assistant professor of music at Bluffton. "In addition to our guest vocal soloist, several members of the band will be featured in selections from swing to Latin," said Schattschneider.
