April 13, 2009
Purdue Brass Choir to make its debut April 16
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue Brass Choir will showcase a variety of music styles, including hymns, reggae, swing and salsa, during its debut concert at 8 p.m. Thursday (April 16) at University Church, 320 North St., West Lafayette .Admission to the concert is free.
Ishbah Cox directs the group, which is made up of 25 trumpets, horns, trombones, tubas, baritones and euphoniums as well as piano, drums and percussion. All the musicians are members of other ensembles within Purdue Bands & Orchestra.
Cox said the abundance of music for chamber wind ensembles and interested musicians led him to create the Purdue Brass Choir. He also conducts Purdue's University and Collegiate Bands.
Some of the pieces in the concert's lineup include John Zdechlik's "Centennial Fanfare;" Leroy Ostransky's "Passacaglia and Scherzo;" "Ten Masterworks for Brass Choir," arranged by William Pelz; Duke Ellington's "It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing;" and three selections written for the Dallas Brass "Brass Grooves" project by John Wasson - "Senor Salsa," "Swingtime" and "Island Holiday."
The group also will perform an arrangement of "How Great Thou Art" by Keith Kunda and a series of three chorales for brass choir scored by Paul Whear including "Let Us Rejoice" by Johann Christian Bach, "Chorale for Brasses" by Carl Ludwig and "Rejoice, Ye Christians" by Johann Sebastian Bach.
The Brass Choir's next public appearance will come as part of the Purdue Bands Showcase concert at 6 p.m. April 25 in Elliott Hall of Music.
Writer: Christy Jones, 765-494-1089, christyjones@purdue.edu
Source: Kathy Matter, Purdue Bands public relations director, 765-496-6785, kcmatter@purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
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