Rosen Concert Reports

At the concert that I attended, a small orchestra called the Watauga Community Band performed in the Rosen Concert Hall on campus. The concert hall was relatively small, and the lights were left on for the audience. This made the atmosphere feel more informal and welcoming. The band was introduced by a master of ceremonies, and then one of the clarinet players stood up and introduced the first piece. The clarinet player would provide background information before each piece. This was helpful to me because it helped familiarize me with pieces and works I didn’t have prior knowledge on.
The first piece the band performed was called Strike Up the Band, composed by George Gershwin. It had a fast tempo, and in some parts this made it sound like a march. The dynamics of this piece used contrast to draw my attention to certain instrument sections or melodies. Before an …show more content…
It was the theme song of the musical/opera of the same name. It had a fast tempo during the refrain melody, and the tempo during the verses slowed down. The dynamics of this piece were loud during the refrain, and soft during the verses. About halfway through the piece, all the instruments stopped, and woman’s scream sounded over the concert hall loudspeakers. Immediately after this, the loud refrain started up again. This made me jump and sent a chill or two down my spine. The texture of this piece was homophonic, and the mood was dark, mysterious, and foreboding. I really liked this piece, because I immediately recognized the melody.
The fifth piece was called The Lord Bless You and Keep You, composed by John Rutter. This piece had a slow tempo, and it balanced all sections of the orchestra very well in regards to dynamics. The piece’s texture could best be categorized as polyphonic. This made the piece’s mood very reverent, but cheerfully so due to the melodies that were used. I liked this piece because it also balanced each section of the orchestra