Northwestern's music department presents chamber ensembles concert

The Northwestern College music department will present a chamber ensembles concert Friday, Dec. 7, at 7:30 p.m. in Christ Chapel. The event is free and open to the public.

Featuring performances by a string quartet, a brass quintet, a saxophone quartet and a piano trio, the concert will showcase a variety of musical styles, including jazz, classical and spiritual.

Unlike typical ensembles, chamber groups rely on only one player for each musical part. “Chamber ensembles involve a great deal of musical intimacy because of how the group must communicate,” says Dr. Timothy McGarvey, professor of music. “There’s no conductor leading them, so the musicians have to rely solely on each other.”

The brass quintet, rehearsed by McGarvey, comprises two trumpets, a horn, a trombone and a tuba. The group will play pieces such as “Contrapunctus IX” by J.S. Bach, “Canzona per Sonare No. 4” by Giovanni Gabrieli and the “Original Dixieland One-Step” by the Original Dixieland Jazz Band.

Also coached by McGarvey, the saxophone quartet will perform jazz and spiritual pieces, including “The Kid Three” by Edward Ory, “It Takes Four to Tango” by Daniel Dorff and an arrangement by Rick Hirsch of “Wade in the Water.”

Chad Hutchinson, lecturer in music, rehearses the string quartet, which features two violins, a viola and a cello. The ensemble will play “Miniature Quartet No. 2 in A minor” by Hugo Cole and “String Quartet in C major, K. 157” by Mozart.

Led by Dr. Juyeon Kang, associate professor of music, the piano trio combines a piano with a violin and cello. The group will perform Joseph Haydn’s “Piano Trio No. 39 in G major Hob. XV/25” and Antonín Dvorák’s “Piano Trio No. 4 in E minor, Op. 90, B. 166.”