Singular roses were in the hands of the large crowd that impatiently anticipated the first Wind Symphony Orchestra performance of the semester. Music stands and instruments waited patiently for the performers who were preparing for “Baila El Mundo.” The performance kickstarts the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month in the UT San Antonio music department.
Applause erupted as the performers found their seats and tuned their instruments. A man with a black suit and a happy demeanor walked on stage, and without saying a word, he signaled to commence a chirpy and jovial piece titled “Dance Celebrations” by Tomohiro Tatebe. The piece felt adventurous, as if one were on an epic quest. The xylophone sparkled through the piece as the trombones, flutes, clarinets and tubas gave an excellent melody in unison, mesmerizing the crowd.
The conductor introduced himself as Director of Bands Ron Ellis, who speedily talked about the program, cracked a couple of jokes and thanked the audience for their attendance. Ellis encouraged people to clap between movements, which is non-traditional for orchestra performances.
The first movement of Bob Margolis’ “Terpsichore” commenced. The piece started quietly, and the hall was dead silent until a big cymbal crash gave entrance to the other wind instruments to join the dramatic, medieval-like piece. Trombones and flutes contrasted impeccably in this piece, with French horns adding drama.
A harpsichord introduced in the second movement in a Renaissance fashion. Flutes, bassoons and oboes dominated the piece until percussion jumpscared the audience with loud cymbals interjecting every couple of notes. Everyone stared intensely, not knowing what was going to happen next. Ellis was having the time of his life, wrapping up the piece with exaggerated movements and a huge grin on his face.
A xylophone started the third movement with an almost-humorous, vibrant melody as flutes and clarinets gave a dashing performance. The fourth movement commenced with trumpets and French horns, transporting the audience to a cinematic realm with lakes and prairies. As the piece continued, the bassoons had a solo and different instrument groups started to stand up to have a spotlight and add depth to the piece. It grew intense as Ellis swung the baton fiercely. Applause roared through the hall as the break started, followed by excited tumult for the next piece titled “La Fiesta Mexicana” by H. Owen Reed.
“I thought the program was like one of the most exciting programs that I’ve seen this ensemble do. I have a lot of friends in this ensemble and so watching them perform and get to really like jam out is really cool.” said Ellie McClain, a music education major attending.
The first movement, titled “Prelude and Aztec Dance” was exceptionally intense — yet delicate and slow — led by French horns and bassoon appearances over the complicated church bells. Quietly, two trumpets, a trombone, a tuba and a clarinet walked on the stage and positioned themselves on the top left corner of the hall. The audience was turning their heads as the performance became an immersive show for a minute.
Clarinets went all out as the piece ludicrously intensified. Then the second movement, “Mass,” was contrasted as a slow and tedious piece that the audience did not pay much attention to, until trombones saved the day by picking up the pace in “Carnival,” the last movement. Clarinets and flutes took over as the people started to tap their feet to the rhythm. Ellis turned to the crowd with a triumphant expression, as if to say, “I told you so” to the lively melody that ended in applause.
“I was a bit nervous. This is my first time in Wind Symphony, so the pieces were — we don’t typically play two 20-minute pieces, so this is a very extensive concert with a lot of repertoire, so a little worried about the technical aspects, but it was a lot of fun to play,” Ethan Mendiola, a music composition major playing clarinet in the ensemble, shared.
“La Chancla” by Dennis Llinas was the highlight of the night. Ellis turned around and signaled the audience to clap to the rhythm. The percussion section had the most fun with the dynamic and syncopated piece. Interjections from the trumpets and the unison from the French horns, sparks of flute, clarinets and saxophone solos paired with the trombones made everyone want to stand up and dance on the spot. Immediately as the piece ended, the audience exploded in applause, giving a thunderous standing ovation for almost three minutes.
“I’m really happy to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month here with some music on the back half of the program,” Ellis said. “It’s so nice to have people come out for a concert like this on campus, and we’re really thankful to have people like you here to kinda talk about it, so thanks, I appreciate it.”
Families and friends of the performers were more than happy to celebrate the first performance of the Wind Symphony Orchestra. It was definitely a dazzling success and a fantastic way to begin Hispanic Heritage Month.
