Evenings of jazz, piano on tap at MC concerts
Release Date:
March 23, 2007
MONMOUTH, Ill. — Monmouth College will host a pair of instrumental concerts
on March 30 and April 3 in the Kasch Performance Hall of the Dahl Chapel and
Auditorium. Both events begin at 7:30 p.m. and are free and open to the public.
On March 30, the college’s Freshman Jazz Combo, Fat Raleigh and The Sticky Six
and the Monmouth College Big Band will take the stage. All three ensembles are
under the direction of Steve Richter, director of instrumental activities.
The concert will include a wide variety of jazz favorites, including “Autumn
Leaves,” “Fever” and “Fly Me to the Moon.” Junior Jessie Bassette of Pekin and
senior Greg Malak of Orland Park will be the featured soloists.
The Freshman Jazz Combo features talented musicians from all areas of study at
Monmouth College. The emphasis of the ensemble is to develop skills in jazz
performance for both the instrumentalist and vocalist through performing the
finest literature from Dixieland, big band and jazz classics. Fat Raleigh and
The Sticky Six is a group of upperclass student musicians. The Monmouth College
Big Band made its formal debut last fall. Richter, the band’s founder, said his
motivation to create the ensemble came as a result of his desire to recreate
some of the big band music that was popular in the 1940s. The 20-member ensemble
includes musicians who were selected through rigorous auditions.
On April 3, Monmouth’s piano faculty will present a special recital of music for
two pianos and one piano, four hands. The recital will open with a short duet of
a cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. The piece will feature Ian Moschenross,
assistant professor of music and chair of the department and music lecturer
Julia Andrews. A special arrangement for the piece was prepared by Mike
Sproston, professor emeritus of music.
Next on the recital program will be a second piano duet, “Fantasy in F minor” by
Franz Schubert, featuring Moschenross and music lecturer Ashlee Mack on the
keyboard, followed by “El Salon Mexico” by Aaron Copland, performed by
Moschenross and Sproston.
Two piano duets will conclude the recital, beginning with “Variations on a Theme
by Haydn” by Johannes Brahms, played by Sproston and Moschenross, and
“Souvenirs” by Samuel Barber, performed by Andrews and Mack.
Released
by the Office of College Communications
Barry McNamara, Associate Director of College Communications
Phone: 309-457-2117
Fax: 309-457-2330
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