Northwestern College Symphonic Band to perform home concert

Northwestern College’s Symphonic Band will perform its touring concert in Christ Chapel on Friday, March 17, at 7:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

The concert will include pieces the band performed in churches and schools throughout Illinois, Michigan, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania during their spring break tour March 5–13. Traditional and modern selections by composers from the U.S. and abroad will be performed during the concert.

The band will perform a number of faith-based songs, including David Biedenbender’s “Luminescence,” which includes fragments of the hymn “Break Forth O Beauteous Heavenly Light,” and “Joy of Life” by Brian Balmages, featuring parts of the hymn “Eternal Father Strong to Save.” Frank Ticheli’s “Amazing Grace” will also be performed.

The concert will include a performance of Mark Camphouse’s “Illuminations,” which is based on “America the Beautiful”; “You are the Love of My Soul,” a composition set to a 16th century love poem; and “Strange Humors,” a mix of Middle Eastern melodies and African drumming by John Mackey. The band will also perform “Gandalf,” from Johan de Meij’s “Symphony No. 1, The Lord of the Rings”; Percy Grainger’s “Country Gardens”; William Schuman’s “Chester”; and “Catch Me If You Can” by John Williams, featuring an alto saxophone solo by sophomore Reese Johnson from Le Mars, Iowa.

The 48-member Symphonic Band is directed by Dr. Tim McGarvey, professor of music at Northwestern. The ensemble has performed across the U.S. and internationally, including in Cuba in 2013.