If living on a small campus like Northwestern’s has left you with cabin fever, your luck is about to change. This Friday, NW’s Symphonic Band invites you to join them on a journey. The band will be performing a concert featuring music from countries around the world, including England, Ireland, Peru and Ecuador.
“The variety of music…takes the listener on an incredible musical journey that is exciting and interesting,” said band director, Timothy McGarvey. “[Audience members] will experience everything from an Irish fanfare to music [honoring] regions of France that were liberated at the end of World War II.”
Fittingly, McGarvey has named the concert “Journeys.” He did not originally intend this theme, but he said that as he selected musical literature, he realized that even seemingly dissimilar music is united by a “common thread.” McGarvey said from that point he “reworked the programming to reflect the [new] theme.”
McGarvey’s diverse music selection certainly hit it off with band students.
“My favorite [song] is ‘Scooting on Hard Rock.’ It is a lively piece made up of three dances,” said sophomore French horn player Toben Archer.
“My favorite is ‘Cloudburst’ by Eric Whitacre,” said senior percussionist Samantha Schouweiler, “There’s thunder and rain. It’s kind of epic.” Schouweiler declined to comment on just how that thunder and rain will be achieved, but she assured that it will impress concert-goers.
Learning the music for “Journeys” certainly gave band students their fair share of frustration.
“[The biggest challenge] was being back in the percussion section. There are lots of percussionists and lots of moving.” Schouweiler said.
However, the past weeks of rehearsal have brought equally as much joy.
“Sometimes I just dance in my chair with my French horn,” Archer said.
McGarvey believes that preparing for this concert has taken the entire band on a journey of its own.
“Our journey has been one of exploration and engagement with the repertoire. Throughout the process we have become immersed in the world of each piece,” he said.
The free concert will be performed Friday, Nov. 12, in Christ Chapel at 7:30 p.m.
