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The Ithaca College Wind Ensemble was the lone United States representative at the gala concert of the British Association of Symphonic Bands and Wind Ensembles conference at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury, England, in September. |
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 A weeklong tour of England
and Ireland was arranged around the BASBWE invitation for the 45-member
student ensemble. The tour, made possible through the support of Ithaca
College President Emeritus James J. Whalen, also included performances at
the Duke's Hall of the Royal Academy of Music in London, the Ithaca College
London Center, and the University Concert Hall of the University of Limerick.
Before heading to Europe, the ensemble premiered the program in Ford Auditorium
for the Ithaca community. |
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The music for the tour, said Winther in the program notes, was chosen "for each work's connection with Ithaca College" and included "selections I number among my personal favorites. These works, and the history of collaborative efforts by our performers, have not only created a rich legacy of literature, performances, and recordings, but they have had a significant impact on the direction and shaping of the musical life of all of us." Among the works were three compositions of Ithaca College music faculty members: Gordon Stout's Duo Concertante for Two Marimbas and Wind Ensemble, written for the Ithaca College Wind Ensemble and premiered last year at the College; Karel Husa's Music for Prague 1968, premiered by the Ithaca Concert College Band in 1969; and Calling, Ever Calling by Dana Wilson, which also received its first reading by the IC Wind Ensemble with Steven Mauk on soprano saxophone. In addition to the concerts, the tour included clinics, workshops, and master classes, as well as a tour of London, a visit to the Cliffs of Moher, a chance to kiss the Blarney Stone, and dinner in period costumes in one of Ireland's oldest castles. Music school dean Arthur Ostrander and President Peggy R. Williams traveled with the ensemble. Ostrander commented, "The faculty, students, and I welcomed the opportunity to extend the College's musical heritage to audiences in England and Ireland. Music is an international language that strengthens mutual understanding of the cultures of the world." |
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Former School of Music professor
Rodney Winther, now at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, conducted
the performances. BASBWE's Brendon Le Page, M.M. '93, who had studied with
Winther during a year's sabbatical at Ithaca, and Britain's Royal Air Force
squadron leader Rob Wiffin guest conducted the ensemble for several selections.
Soloists were music professor Steven Mauk on soprano saxophone; Gordon Stout,
associate professor of percussion and chair of the performance studies department,
on marimba; and Ted Rounds, former Ithaca College percussion faculty member,
also on marimba.