by Nora Hollinghead
The Troy University Symphony Band put on a concert in Claudia Crosby Tuesday night.
The Symphony Band consists of the top 55-63 wind and percussion students in the John M. Long School of Music. The ensemble regularly participates in commissioning consortia and has an active commissioning schedule.
The first Symphony Band concert this year consisted of music from John Williams, an American composer and conductor, who is famous for Harry Potter, Home Alone (1990), and others. John William’s professional career started in the armed forces and eventually worked his way to scoring everything from action films to human dramas.
Dr.Mark Walker, Director of Bands, conducted the band as they presented “Masterworks”. The concert consisted of Imperial March, from The Empire Strikes Back, Excerpts from Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Nimbus 2000, from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, and others.
“This is John William’s 90th year and there is nobody more masterful in the film of congregational living at this point in the twenty-first century,” said Dr.Walker
“No one is more influential in the film industry than John Williams because of his music being simply timeless.”
Jacob Tracy, a junior music industry major from Port St. Joe, Fl plays the alto saxophone. Jacob had a solo over the catch me if you can sing that he had been practicing for this concert since June.
“We wanted to surprise people with the star wars theme song at the end to rejuvenate the energy that might have been lost somewhere in the middle of the concert.” said Jacob “I really think my favorite had to be escapades and star wars.”
Jordan Cole, a freshman elementary education major from Birmingham Alabama was at the concert and said “I have not been completely involved yet and this concert was awesome. I really want to try to find a way to be involved in the band next year.”
The Symphony Band will have three more concerts with the next one being on November 18th, 2022 at 7:00 pm.