The University of Rhode Island’s Department of Music held a concert for its Chamber Ensembles on Sunday, Nov. 22. The ensembles included the Brass Quintet, the Lower Brass Ensemble, the Flute Choir and the Tube/Euphonium Ensemble.
Beginning the performance, the Brass Quintet, consisting of Erin Hall and Michael Pollart on trumpet, Ethan Cafferky on horn, Tyler Barboza on tenor trombone, and Sam Kurzontkowski on tuba performed the Fanfare from La Peri, a 1912 ballet, composed by Paul Dukas. The piece showcased the tight harmonies and vibrant sound of the brass instruments, and set the tone for the rest of the performances.
Next, the Tuba/Euphonium Ensemble took the stage to perform two pieces. This ensemble consisted of Tyler Barboza, Claire Leath and Michael Melfi on Euphonium, and Sam Kurzontkowski and Ian Wykes on tuba. They began by playing Popcorn for Pedro, a piece written by faculty coach Gary Buttery. Following this, the ensemble performed Kang-Kao-Kin-Kluay, a traditional Thai piece, which was arranged by Manit Buchachanok.
The intricate rhythms and layers created by the members of this ensemble showcased some of the finer details of the music, while also creating a cohesive sound to the pieces as a whole.
Following this was a performance by the Flute Choir, which consisted of Rebecca Chase, Stephanie Garcia, Megan McSweeney, Scott Travers, and Leigh-Anne Valleley on flute, Amanda Rash on flute and piccolo, Nicole Harnois on alto flute, and Stephanie Bramble on bass flute. They performed The Queen of the Night from the opera “The Magic Flute”, written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The familiar melodies of this well-known piece were complemented by the light, fluttering flute arrangements, neatly played by the members of the ensemble.
The next two pieces in the concert were performed by the Low Brass Ensemble, which consisted of Tyler Barboza and Kevin Entwistle on trombone, and Sam Kurzontkowski on tuba. They began their performance with Interludio per Tre Tromboni, a piece written by C. Hidas Frigyes. A minor piece with many dissonant harmonies, the instruments clashed and blended with a perfect balance. The second piece played by this ensemble was Aequale by Anton Bruckner, a piece that shifts between major and minor, with many close harmonies.
The Flute Choir returned with a performance of The Dance of the Reed Pipes from “The Nutcracker Suite” by Pyotr Tchaikovsky. This well known piece was complimented once again by the light and intricate sounds of the Flute Choir. The Brass Quintet made another appearance as well, performing parts 1 and 4 of the Suite from The Monteregian Hills by Morley Calvert. The concert concluded with the Tuba/Euphonium Ensemble returning to play a traditional piece, Tuba Muck¸ which was arranged by Dankwart Schmidt.
The faculty coaches for this concert were Jaime Thorne, Benjamin Griffin and Gary Buttery, with Stephanie Garcia as Graduate Assistant Coach. Kelli O’Connor was the chamber ensemble coordinator for this event.
The Department of Music will be putting on multiple performances every week for the rest of semester. More information about this can be found here: http://web.uri.edu/music/event-calendar/.