On Saturday, April 14, Houghton University’s Wind Ensemble will perform a concert titled “Journeys.” The event will take place at 3:00 p.m. in Wesley Chapel, and is free and open to the public.

The concert draws on themes of travel, home, and wanderlust. Frank Ticheli’s “San Antonio Dances,” makes use of the Hispanic and Texan cultural influences of San Antonio, Texas. “Shortcut Home,” composed by Dana Wilson, conveys the idea of ‘going home’ through its continual journey towards the piece’s final C major chord.

Featured during the performance will be “Midnight Road Trip” by Jonah Gallagher, who will be in attendance as a guest for the performance. The piece was commissioned by the wind ensemble and is premiering at the concert. Gallagher, a master’s student at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, found inspiration for the piece in the late-night drives he would take as a teenager living in the suburbs of Chicago. “This feeling of freedom and possibility, given by the simple beauty of a driver’s license, is something that many people can resonate with,” he remarks.

“We are thrilled to present this concert, ‘Journeys’,” says Dr. Timothy McGarvey, professor of conducting, director of instrumental activities, and wind ensemble conductor at Houghton. “It takes the listener to many different places with a great variety of experiences.”

The Houghton Wind Ensemble (HWE) is one of the major ensembles of the Greatbatch School of Music. It is comprised of both music and non-music majors and performs several times throughout the year. HWE seeks to expose its students and audiences to the highest quality music written for wind and percussion instruments.