Symphonic Band to perform at Northwestern

The Northwestern College Symphonic Band will present a concert featuring music from composers like David Gillingham, Eric Whitacre and John Williams on Friday, Nov. 14, at 7:30 p.m. in Christ Chapel. The event is free and open to the public.

“The program boasts a huge variety of music that will inspire and excite the audience,” says Dr. Timothy McGarvey, professor of music and director of the band.

Gillingham’s award-winning composition “Heroes, Lost and Fallen” will be performed during the concert. “This monumental piece was written to honor the soldiers who were killed or went missing-in-action during the Vietnam War,” says McGarvey. “Gillingham takes the listener on a remarkable journey of war.”

The ensemble will also perform “Liberty Fanfare” by Williams, a piece written in 1986 for the 100th birthday of the Statue of Liberty, and “October” by Whitacre, an expressive work that showcases the composer’s attempt to capture the natural and pastoral soul of the fall season.

Kathryn Salfelder’s “Cathedrals,” a piece based on Giovani Gabrieli’s “Canzon Primi Toni,” will be presented during the concert. “The composer juxtaposes this Renaissance classic against very modern elements,” says McGarvey. “It’s designed for two brass choirs to perform on opposite sides of the stage, with the rest of the ensemble between them.”

Other compositions in the evening’s repertoire include “Lullaby for Noah” by Joseph Turrin, “The Forest of Arden” by George Lloyd and “Lateral Perspectives” by Kevin Walczyk.