On Sunday, April 28, the Johns Hopkins University Wind Ensemble performed its spring concert in Shriver Hall. The concert was entitled “Dance,” and it showcased pieces of music that were heavily influenced by different styles of dance.
The Wind Ensemble was conducted by Christy Muncy, who also conducts the Pep Band. Before beginning at Hopkins, she directed the Colorado State University Concert Orchestra, served as Assistant Conductor for the Colorado State University Symphony Orchestra and Opera CSU, and Assistant Conductor for both the Fort Collins Symphony and Thornton Community Band. Given such a wealth of experience, Ms. Muncy knew how to conduct the Wind Ensemble and put a new twist on concert music.
Ms. Muncy explained that dance is how instrumentation began. The music itself evolved into different genres such as jazz and classical, but modern composers want to return to music’s roots and create music that fuses instrumentation with the rhythms of dance.
The concert began with “Sun Dance,” which is celebratory and joyous. It was a bouncy, bright and sparkling song that evoked images of people celebrating a big event at a party. Its occasional cymbal crashes, dynamics, and trills, made the audience feel elated.
Gabriel Fauré’s “Pavane,” on the other hand was more stately, serious and somber. Based on a European sixteenth century dance, the pavane featured a clarinet baseline. This laid the foundation for the rest of the melody. There were few dynamic changes, and the song would have been appropriate for a simple march.
The “Illyrian Dances” by Guy Woolfenden were also notable. The piece was separated into three movements. The first was energetic and fun, much like a jig. The second was delicate the pretty with its flute trills, and the third was majestic, lively and based on French Baroque dance.
Warren Benson’s “The Solitary Dancer” was also highly interesting and unique. It harnesses pauses, silences and the fading of instrument sounds to symbolize the potential energy ignited when a dancer is either in repose or strikes a pose before moving again. The composer was aware of the sense of inner peace, adding few dynamics, but also of the graceful self-discipline necessary for a top-notch dancer. It neither begins nor ends with a bang. Rather, it is a peaceful and graceful work of music that explores the internality of a dancer.
The Johns Hopkins Wind Ensemble put on a wonderful performance that the entire audience was able to enjoy.
With a new executive board to usher in the new year, it will be interesting to see what musical innovations will come from the band.
