The University Band, a group of student musicians at UT San Antonio, presented their latest recital: “Unity.” They stepped onto the stage from a door constructed to blend into the backstage walls. Forming a V-formation when walking up, the band circled the chairs and stands laid out across the stage. Some warmed up their instruments or adjusted their stands, and some waved to excited families in the audience. As students settled in, UT San Antonio Associate Professors of Music John Zarco and Ronald Ellis introduced the special guests: the John Paul Stevens High School and William H. Taft High School bands.
The University Band prepared to play the first piece: “Nitro” by Frank Ticheli. Vacant spots filled the spaces between performers, creating an incomplete ensemble. A cascade of chaos ensued as the band incongruently warmed up. UT San Antonio Assistant Director of Athletic Bands and University Band Hector Garcia took to the stage, his presence commanding a silence from the band. With a seamless wave of his baton, the flutes began the piece with a rushed, rhythmic tune as the tuba’s deep, giant-like thumps followed along. The arrangement heavily focused on the wind instruments. The brass and wind instruments engaged in a moment of dialogue before finally coming together to end the piece.
Stevens High School conductor Ryan Williams stepped onto the podium to direct “Prelude, Siciliano, and Rondo” arranged by John Paynter. The Stevens students entered the stage, filling the vacant spot that encompassed the performers. Brass was the stand-out instrument here, permeating the room with their powerful blasts. The brass and wind again conversed, softly dancing among their notes, mimicking each other’s tune. The music casted a spell on the audience, capturing their gaze and ears. The audience attentively listened to their methodical play. The music ended, and the high school students were met with thunderous applause as they stepped off the stage.
Without the Stevens students filling the seats, the gaps between the University Band students reappeared. Despite the incomplete feel, the band’s talent and skill resounded. Taft High School’s conductor Greg Nelson led “The Sun Just Touched the Morning” by Patrick J. Burns. The flutes’ solo caused their melody to suffuse through the room, and the xylophone colored it. The song’s tune resonated with hope — the bittersweet ending of a story.
Parts of the band trailed off stage, and Stevens High School Conductor Emily Williams directed the piece “Kalos Eidos” by Carol Brittin Chambers. The song’s vibrancy brought to mind imagery of a rainbow kaleidoscope. The piece’s fast-paced yet calm nature mimicked the quickly changing color scheme of the hue-shifting apparatus. A tone shift, signified by the percussion’s river stream-like sound, introduced an instrumental melody that was calm but slower than before. The audience was even more reeled into the band, with some bopping their head to the rhythm.
The University Band, led by Garcia, took center stage for the finale. They performed “Legacy” by Richard L. Saucedo. The piccolos were more prominent in this song, with their quick, high notes; the percussion set the tempo. Meanwhile, the band played around the star instruments.
The bands offered a solid, intriguing and entertaining performance. Even with small mishaps, the recital delivered emotions such as joy and hope. At the concert’s end, the college and high school students rose, the conductors stood at the left of the podium and the audience roared at the grandeur of the bands, while performers and conductors took in the praise.
