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Houghton Symphonic Winds
Houghton Symphonic Winds
The Houghton Symphonic Winds is a wind band of approximately sixty members and seeks to expose its students and its audiences to the highest quality music written for wind and percussion instruments. The group rehearses Monday, Wednesday, and some Friday afternoons in the Instrumental Rehearsal Hall of the Center for the Arts; rehearsals are always open for observation. Prayer times and shared devotional thoughts are regular features of rehearsals, as well.
Listen to Symphonic Winds in Mark Hijleh's
"For He Is Glorious"
Made up of approximately 65% music majors and 35% non-majors, this outstanding ensemble performs four major campus concerts per year, in addition to other performances. Seating assignments are made based on brief, low-pressure auditions. The ensemble also tours annually in the spring semester and released its most recent, full-length CD on the Mark Records label during the spring of 2009.
Dr. Brian Casey conducts the Symphonic Winds, assisted by graduate conductors Ethan Hall and Rachel Smith, and regular guest conductors, including Professor Gary Stith, who ably established the ensemble’s recent history, and who is now teaching and coordinating full-time in the Music Education program.
The 2010-2011 season included music by Nelson, Stamp, Gandolfi, Williams, Riegger, Arnold, Mendelssohn, Ticheli, Dello Joio, Ellerby, Gossec, Milhaud, Bedford, Camphouse, Mahr, and Bach. Chamber wind works by Mendelssohn, Gounod, and Dvorak were also met with resounding enthusiasm.
Plans for an exciting 2011-2012 season include brilliant works by Robert Russell Bennett, Vincent Persichetti, Donald Grantham, Alfred Reed, Jason Nitsch, David Maslanka, William Schuman, Davide Delle Cese, and Fisher Tull. Chamber wind works by Gillingham, Mozart, Grainger, and Strauss are also programmed.
Concerts are scheduled as follows.
- Saturday, Sept 10 – Symphonic Winds and Friends: Remembering (7:00 p.m.) – a special memorial program for the tenth anniversary of 9/11
- Saturday, Nov 5 — Symphonic Winds: This Land
- Friday, Nov 11 — Chamber Wind Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble
- Friday, Dec 9 -- Symphonic Winds: Yuletide at Home
- Saturday, Feb 18 -- Symphonic Winds: Urbo-Rural
- Thursday March 22 - Sunday March 25 — Symphonic Winds Tour
- Friday, Apr 27 — Symphonic Winds and Chamber Wind Ensemble
Concerts are in Wesley Chapel at 8:00 p.m. unless otherwise noted.
Email the Music Director, Brian Casey
Dr. Casey’s Bio
Extended Professional Info Page
