The Kirkwood Community College Concert Band will present its fall concert Saturday night, December 12. The concert repertoire will span centuries and cultures in a 7:30 p.m. presentation in Ballantyne Auditorium. The program is directed by Kirkwood Music Professor, Dr. Beth Zamzow.
In considering the program, Dr. Zamzow said the works evoke an amazing variety of moods.
“Several of our selections for this concert are impressions and reflections of great composers on ideals, beliefs and stories of cultures long past. We have included an interpretation of the great sacred theme Ave Maria from the great Austrian composer Anton Bruckner. We also explore Celtic musical themes of a millennium ago and a set of very early hymns that go back to the birth of the modern Christian traditions. Add a rousing march or two and it’s quite a variety in one evening,” she said.
Zamzow also mentioned another selection that “will stretch and challenge” the volunteer musicians. “We are performing the ‘Jupiter’ section of Gustav Holst’s The Planets. In musical circles they score works on a ‘grade’ scale of 1 to 5. This Jupiter selection is definitely a 5! I am proud of our players and think our listeners will appreciate the effort as well as the result,” she observed.
The personnel in the band reflect a diversity as wide as its repertoire. The group is made up of Kirkwood students, alumni and music-loving community players. The volunteers range in age from teenagers to senior citizens, joined by an appreciation for the particular styles and arrangements indicative of the concert band repertoire.
Tickets to the December 12 performance of the Kirkwood Concert Band are $8 for adults and $5 for seniors and students with current ID. Kirkwood students, faculty and staff are admitted free of charge. Tickets are available from the Kirkwood Student Life office, (319) 398-5578.