The Washington Wind Symphony presents “A New Dawn”

The Washington Wind Symphony is so excited to perform live again, we decided to waive admission! To celebrate our long-awaited return to the stage, we’re making this special concert free to all. Come celebrate our emergence from the pandemic as we present “A New Dawn,” conducted by our music director, Jacob Scherr. You’ll hear:

* Children’s March: Over the Hills and Far Away, by Percy Grainger — Penned in 1919 in honor of Grainger’s Scandinavian companion, Karen Holt, with whom he shared a long-distance relationship during the first decade of the twentieth century, this beloved composition is recognized as one of the most original and essential pieces of the wind band literature.

* Of Our New Day Begun, by Omar Thomas — This somber piece pays homage to those who died on June 17, 2015, while worshiping in the historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. Striving to express the pain, anger, grace, and forgiveness demonstrated by the victims’ families, Thomas anchored his composition with James and John Johnson’s time-honored song, Lift Every Voice and Sing, and peppered it with blues harmonies and melodies. Singing, stomping, and clapping are also prominent features of this work, a nod to traditional Black worship services.

* The Promise of Living, by Aaron Copland, arr. James Curnow — Transparent and chamber-like at its onset, Copland dramatically introduces the folk song Zion’s Walls, as the melodies unfold and intertwine until the composition builds to its dramatic climax. Follow the rise and fall of the melody as the woodwinds gradually interject to create a sense of lyrical dialog within the band.

* First Suite in E-flat, by Gustav Holst, rev. Colin Matthews — Completed in 1909, Holst’s legendary suite didn’t receive its official premiere until 11 years later on June 23rd, 1920, by an ensemble of 165 musicians at the Royal Military School of Music at Kneller Hall. This popular work is considered a masterpiece of wind band writing, sounding as fresh and original today as the day it was written.

Please join us on April 3 and enjoy these works and more in the comfortable Redmond Performing Arts Center. We can’t wait to play for you!