The destruction and chaos that follow Godzilla has made its way to the far reaches of the Midwest, where the massive creature made its stop at Southwest Minnesota State University as part of the 2013 Fine Arts Celebration.
The SMSU/Community Concert Band performed their final concert of the year, themed “Stylish, Silly & Sublime.” The concert was held in the SMSU Fine Arts Theatre on Apr. 26, where the band performed a total of five selections under the direction of Dr. John Ginocchio.
The SMSU/Community Concert Band started the evening with a famous tune, “Godzilla Eats Las Vegas!” by Eric Whitacre. This 13-minute piece depicts the terror unleashed by Godzilla as he destroys Sin City with a chaotic mixture of percussion, woodwinds and brass.
After this outrageous and stylish piece, the band followed with a lighter selection by Ralph Vaughan Williams called “Linden Lea.” Written to the poetry of William Barnes, the musical piece holds a simple, yet elegant tone.
Robert Sheldon’s “Choreography” was the next selection in the band’s performance. The piece starts at a rapid pace with various brass and percussion hits and woodwind melodies, follows with a slow, lyrical section, then returns to its upbeat nature by the finish.
The band continued with a Frank Erickson piece, “Air for Band.” A slow tune, the mixture of melodies and harmonies throughout the piece catered to the more sublime nature of the performance.
The band finished the evening with “The Fairest of the Fair” by John Philip Sousa, a famous American composer known for his fun and stylish marches.
Band members included Leanna Ginocchio, Crystal Joos and Nancy Long on flute; Jeannette Bosveld (also saxophone) and Connie Knott on oboe; Deb Anderson, Adam Christie, Paulette Hanson, Sharon Kabes and Lon Wright on clarinet; Gillian Rolfe on bassoon; Meghan Carmody (also percussion), Justin Condelli (also percussion) and Kimberly Lynner on saxophone; Carolyn Bayerkohler (also French horn), Vaughn Gehle, Margaret Greig, Brian Jones, Susan Jones, Zack Kilian and Kim Watkins on trumpet; Alex Munsterman and Tony Munsterman on French horn; Maxx Louwagie and Brigitte Munsterman on trombone; Terry Louwagie on euphonium; Brittany Johnson and John Voit on tuba; Katie Carter and Madelyn Sagedahl on percussion; and Danae Aslesen on piano.
Look for more upcoming Fine Arts events at http://www.smsu.edu/today/?articleid=2562.
