Tune in for performances from the Wind Symphony on February 18 and the Symphonic Band on February 22
The month of February is a time to reflect back on American culture and community with both Black History Month and President’s Day. Upcoming performances from the BYU Wind Symphony and Symphonic Band honor those who have contributed to the American experience in important ways.
On February 18, under the direction of Shawn Smith, Wind Symphony will perform its program “Toward Freedom . . .,” a concert that celebrates Black History Month. The program will feature music inspired by Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr., as well as “a musical celebration of the Black Sunday worship experience” with Omar Thomas’s “Come Sunday.”
“It is always inspiring to see how music can serve as a cultural bridge,” said Smith, “and I think, with the strong religious mission we cherish at BYU, it is especially meaningful for our students to get a taste of how others worship.”
In addition, the symphony will perform Aaron Copland’s “Lincoln Portrait,” which will feature a narrator who will quote from President Lincoln’s speeches.
The following Tuesday, on February 22, the Symphonic Band will present “Heroes,” a program that pays “homage to heroes of our past and present.” These heroes include both those who have shaped history and those who have made more individual sacrifices and contributions.
Director Nathan Seamons said that the performance will be a “musical collage” in which the band will “pay tribute to many who have made sacrifices for us personally, for the community and for the country.”
This concert will conclude with Onsby Rose’s Symphony No. 1, “Heroes,” which is “dedicated to those who lost their lives in the service of their nation.”
For tickets to these performances, visit arts.byu.edu.