As the semester comes to a close, several of Sinclair Community College music ensembles are preparing for their final performances. The third weekend in April will feature concerts from Sinclair’s Jazz Ensemble, three Choral Ensembles and the three Wind Bands.
Jazz Ensemble concert to
be held on April 19
The Jazz Ensemble includes members of the community, as well as Sinclair students and faculty. According to Bruce Jordan, Jazz Band director, the band has more community members than students.
Jordan said anyone is able to audition to play in the band. If a person is not at the skill level to play immediately, there are resources available to help hone the skills necessary. Jordan is willing to help those that are serious; he would love for more Sinclair students to get involved.
“It’s neat if they could get involved and know that this music is really exciting,” Jordan said.
The Jazz Ensemble will begin the musical weekend on Friday, April 19. The concert will have a feature by saxophonist Tom Walsh, a professor at Indiana University. Jordan was introduced to Walsh through David Baker, a jazz educator at Indiana University. Jordan, who played in his band in the 1960s, asked Baker for recommendations and Walsh was it.
Patrons can expect music from familiar names in jazz, such as Quincy Jones, Duke Ellington and Thelonius Monk, among others.
Several of the pieces are arranged by Walsh, who can be expected to be seen playing along with the group. The concert will begin 8 p.m. in Blair Hall Theatre. Admission and parking are free.
Choral Ensemble concerts to be held on April 20
Sinclair’s Choral Ensembles will also be having a concert the following day on Saturday, April 20. The concert will be held at St. John’s Lutheran Church at 141 S. Ludlow St., located at the intersection of Fifth St. and Ludlow St. Both admission and parking are free.
There are three ensembles that will be performing: The Chamber Choir, Women’s Choir and Chorale; each of the ensembles are directed by Nolan Long.
The concert’s theme is “Significant Composers Anniversary et al.” All three ensembles will be performing music by composers who are experiencing a significant anniversary of their birth or death.
Those who attend can expect to hear music in different languages, such as Italian, French and Slovak. Several of the songs will be sung in their English translation as well. Long describes Slovak as having some “very interesting sounds.” Attendees will to be entertained by songs with titles such as “La petite fille sage (The Good Little Girl)” and “Le chien perdu (The Lost Dog)” and some other pieces, like “Zadala mamka (Sad Wedding Song).”
To be a part of any of the choirs, first a potential member must audition. According to Long, at the audition, students will be expected to sing and sight read. Long then places students in a choir based upon their abilities.
The Chamber Choir and Chorale are both “mixed” ensembles, meaning they contain soprano, alto, tenor and bass. Being in one of the ensembles not only helps fulfill credit obligations for music majors, but it’s also open to all students at Sinclair.
“I’m always looking for new members every semester,” Long said.
Students can sign up to be in one of the ensembles for next fall semester. Chamber Choir is the most auditioned choir, but the others are open as well. Members of each choir are also automatically a part of the Choral Music Association at Sinclair. Anyone interested in auditioning should contact Long through email, at nolan.long@sinclair.edu or call 937-512-4057.
Wind Concert to be
held on April 21
The Wind Concert will be the last concert of the weekend, taking place on Sunday, April 21. There are three bands: the Community Wind Symphony, Youth Wind Symphony and the Community Concert Band. The Wind Symphony and Concert Band includes members from Sinclair, as well as the public.
The Youth Wind Symphony is composed of high school students from surrounding area schools.
Kenneth Kohlenberg, band director and professor at Sinclair, said the group has been preparing for the concert since February. Each band meets once a week in preparation for the performance. Each group will be performing music by Jack Stamp, professor of music, chairperson of the Music Department and director at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
“It’s always nice to have colleagues that are friends,” Kohlenberg, who has known Stamp for years said.
Six pieces by Stamp will be played throughout the concert. This will be Stamp’s second appearance at Sinclair, the first being nearly 19 years ago.
“For most of the group, this will be their first time working with Stamp,” Kohlenberg said.
However, there are some long-time members who will be seeing him for the second time. Don Bruning has been a member of the Community Wind Symphony since 1978 and is excited about Stamp’s return to Sinclair.
“You get to play the music for the person who wrote it and play it how it’s suppose to sound,” Bruning said.
Other members are excited as well.
Felicia Dellis, percussionist, is excited about the pieces and said there’s “lots of percussion.”
The concert will be held in Blair Hall Theatre at 2 p.m. Admission and parking will be free.
Anyone interested in finding out more information regarding the upcoming events or if anyone is interested in the ensembles, visit sinclair.edu/arts/music, for more information.