Heather Mcgehee – for the Review The Fall Band Concert, which will take place at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 13 at McMinnville’s First Baptist Church, will feature emotionally charged tunes and a guest appearance.
The concert has a stellar lineup of pieces: “I Am,” a piece by Andrew Boysen, will be the most moving song of the concert. In January 1990, a baritone saxophone player, Lynn Jones, died in a car crash and was later immortalized in the song. Its title is taken from a poem, also titled “I Am,” Jones wrote only days before his death.
The composition is unusual because it is an aleatory piece. This means that parts of the song are left to the devices of the musicians, who play it within loose musical guidelines. For this reason, the performers’ reviews are mixed.
“I think that if you listen to it and try to appreciate it, you can,” freshman trombonist Lynette Cole said.
Her less-than-wholehearted appraisal of the piece reflects the opinions of other band members, as well. Some, however, feel quite differently.
“I heard it on a CD and decided it was my favorite band song ever,” junior Audrey Rasmussen, whose recommendation was largely responsible for the song’s selection, said.
Her earnest enthusiasm for the song was unwavering.
“I love this piece,” she said. “I feel like it tells a story.”
Other pieces also garner nothing but praise from the musicians. One chief piece among these is Johan Halvorsen’s “Entry March of the Boyars.”
“Oh my god! I love it so much,” Cole said. ”I bought it on iTunes. I listen to it every day.”
A final treat for concert attendees will be the performance of guest soloist Tony Clements. A highly accomplished tuba soloist, Clements joins the band for “Concertino for Tuba and Band,” a piece by Frank Bencriscutto.
The First Baptist Church is located at 125 SE Cowls St. For more information, please contact Donna Root at [email protected].