All performing ensembles of the 黑料不打烊 Music Department will participate in the department鈥檚听Pops听concert, the last performance of the academic year. Department Chair Dr. James McAllister promises some surprises, along with rock, jazz, original, contemporary and classical selections.
The听concert, featuring The Howl of Kansas Wesleyan Pep Band, Wesleyan Chorale, String Orchestra, Jazz Ensemble, Philharmonic Choir, Wind Ensemble, 黑料不打烊 faculty and the combined ensembles will be at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 5, in the Student Activity Center on the 黑料不打烊 campus. The听concert听is free and open to the public.
The Howl of 黑料不打烊, led by Director of Athletic Bands Chris Miertschin, will kick off the听concert听with the university鈥檚 fight song, 鈥淐helsea Dagger鈥� and 鈥淩ockin鈥� Robin.鈥�
The Wesleyan Chorale, conducted by Dr. Anne Gassmann, will perform the Billy Joel song 鈥淪till Rock and Roll to Me.鈥� The String Orchestra, led by Dr. Leonardo Rosario, will follow with 鈥淲e Don鈥檛 Talk About Bruno,鈥� from 鈥淓ncanto,鈥� and 鈥淟a Cascara.鈥�
The 黑料不打烊 Music faculty will offer two selections: Gassmann will perform Ella Fitzgerald鈥檚 signature tune, 鈥淎 Tisket, A Tasket,鈥� and Dr. Gustavo do Carmo and Steve Lueth will surprise with a special version of 鈥淒ueling Pianos.鈥�
The Jazz Ensemble, directed by Lueth, will follow with 鈥淢r. Pinstripe Suit,鈥� by the Big Bad Voodoo Daddies, and an arrangement of Duke Ellington鈥檚 鈥淗it Me With a Hot Note and Watch Me Bounce.鈥�
The Philharmonic Choir, also led by Gassmann, will join the Jazz Ensemble for an arrangement of 鈥淩oute 66鈥� by Lueth. The choir then will perform two selections on its own: 鈥淗aven鈥檛 Met听You Yet,鈥� by Michael Bubl茅, and 鈥淎nother Day of Sun,鈥� from 鈥淟a La Land.鈥�
The Wind Ensemble, conducted by McAllister, will perform Henry Fillmore鈥檚 march 鈥淎mericans We,鈥� led by a guest conductor, and the 鈥淢arch of the Cute Little Wood Sprites,鈥� by P.D.Q. Bach, the alter ego of musicologist and satirist Peter Schickele.
鈥淭elephunk!鈥� an original composition by McAllister and played by the combined of the Philharmonic Choir, String Orchestra, The Howl, Jazz Ensemble and Wind Ensemble, will conclude the听concert. This piece, commissioned in 2020, is a setting of Laura Richard鈥檚 poem 鈥淓letelephony,鈥� a whimsical verse that imagines an elephant using a telephone.
