Natural Brass in HBBB Spring Concert at HSU

The Humboldt Bay Brass Band and its related ensembles—including the first U.S. student group to be invited to a prestigious event in New York City—perform classics and familiar tunes on Saturday April 7 at Fulkerson Recital Hall, under the direction of Gilbert Cline.

The ensemble called Trumpet Concert von Humboldt performs on natural (valveless) trumpets, as played in the Baroque era. The group will play at the Historic Brass Society international symposium in New York this July—an event described as “the largest and most important gathering of early brass performers and scholars ever assembled.” The only student group ever invited before was from the Royal Conservatory of Music in London, more than a decade ago.

But on April 7 the North Coast audience will hear the ensemble perform a bolero. Among selections by another ensemble, the Brass Quintet, are Scott Joplin’s “The Entertainer” and the Rondeau by Jean-Joseph Mouret, familiar as the Masterpiece Theatre theme on PBS.

The Humboldt Bay Brass Band itself performs several classical pieces, including Suite from The Royal Water Music by Handel, Finlandia by Jean Sibelius and Mille regretz from the early 1500s by Josquin des Prez.  Popular melodies on the program include “American Patrol” (made famous by the Glenn Miller Orchestra) and the Beatles’ “Day Tripper,” as well as selections from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music and a selection from the ever-popular John Philip Sousa.

As for the ensemble Trumpet Concert von Humboldt, Professor Cline notes that it is one of the few ensembles anywhere to perform on authentic reproduction natural trumpets. He incorporates research of historic brass music in the HSU ensemble, as played in the upcoming concert.

Humboldt Bay Brass Band and ensembles performs its spring concert on Saturday April 7 at 8 p.m. in the in Fulkerson Recital Hall. Tickets are $7 general, $3 students/seniors, from the HSU Ticket Office (826-3928) or at the door. Free to HSU students with ID. Directed by Gilbert Cline, produced by the HSU Music Department.

HBBB and Ensembles: The Program

1- Finlandia by Jean Sibelius

2- Mille regretz by Josquin des Prez

3- Brass quintet: Sonata from Bankelsangerlieder by Daniel Speer

4- Suite from The Royal Water Music by G. F. Handel

5- Brass quintet: Rondeau by Jean-Joseph Mouret

7- Sousa On Parade by J P Sousa

Intermission

- TCvH: Bolero anonymous

- Brass quintet: The Entertainer by Scott Joplin

- Selections from The Sound of Music by Rodger & Hammerstein

- American Patrol by F W Meacham

- Day Tripper by Lennon-McCartney (The Beatles)

- Hide & Seek by Imogen Heap

Media: Tri-City Weekly, Humboldt State Now, Arcata Eye, North Coast Journal, Lumberjack.