Competition Winner is Humboldt Symphony Soloist 

 The Humboldt Symphony performs a rarely heard concertino with student trombonist and concerto competition winner Craig Hull as soloist, on Friday February 27 at Fulkerson Recital Hall.

 “Craig does a great job,” said Humboldt Symphony conductor Paul Cummings. “He’s one of the best trombonists we’ve ever had here.” 

 First performed in 1837, the Concertino for Trombone and Orchestra by German composer Ferdinand David became his most popular and most enduring composition. This concertino (or “little concerto”) is rarely played now, Cummings said, partly because works written expressly for trombone and orchestra are themselves very rare.

 “Trombonists are used to playing transcriptions from other instruments but this is an original piece by a good composer. It has the typical concerto layout of a dialogue between the orchestra and the solo instrument,” Cumming said. 

 David was only 25 when he composed it. He was a contemporary and friend of Felix Mendelssohn—they were born one year apart, in the same house. Mendelssohn had agreed to write a trombone concerto for a famous instrumentalist of the time but eventually suggested that David write it instead. Mendelssohn conducted its premiere performance. The Concertino became so associated with David that part of it was played at his funeral—ironically, transcribed for violin and orchestra. 

 The program also features Symphony No. 8 by late 19th century Czech composer Antonin Dvorak. It has been called warm, light and playful, especially in contrast to the Dvorak symphonies that immediately precede and follow it. Musicologist Peter Laki writes, “The music is always cheerful and optimistic, yet it doesn’t lack grandeur.” On this evening the Humboldt Symphony plays the first two movements, and will perform the entire symphony in May. 

 Humboldt Symphony performs on Friday February 27 at 8 p.m. in the Fulkerson Recital Hall at HSU. Tickets are $8 general, $5 seniors, students and children, and free to HSU students, from the HSU Box Office (826-3928) or at the door. Conducted by Paul Cummings, produced by HSU Music Department.

Players for Schubert’s “Trout Quintet”: Karen Davy, Cindy Moyer, Daniel Colson, Kira Weiss, Daniela Mineva.

A Carnival of Welcome

 HSU Music’s second semester Welcome Concert goes big, as a total of 16 faculty, staff and friends perform music from Bach to Gershwin, Schubert to Miles Davis, including a dozen players combining on the playful Carnival of the Animals by Saint-Saens, with hilarious verses by Ogden Nash. 

 This is not the only ensemble on the bill that’s larger than usual for a Welcome Concert. Soprano Elisabeth Harrington sings a church cantata by J.S. Bach (“Exult God in All Lands”) accompanied by 7 players: Gilbert Cline (trumpet), Cindy Moyer and Karen Davy (violin), Sherry Hanson (viola), Kira Weiss (cello), Daniel Colson (bass) and Gregory Granoff on harpsichord. 

 Davy, Moyer, Weiss and Colson are joined by pianist Daniela Mineva for the first movement of Franz Schubert’s Trout Quintet (Quintet in A Major.) “This is an unusual combination of instruments,” violinist Cindy Moyer observed. “Very few other works have been written for piano, violin, viola, cello and bass.”

 The duo of Brian Post on piano and Daniel Colson on bass perform two jazz oriented pieces: “A Foggy Day” by George Gershwin (first performed by Fred Astaire in the 1937 film Damsel in Distress) and “Blue in Green” by Miles Davis (from his best-selling jazz album A Kind of Blue.) 

 In 1886, French composer Camille Saint-Saëns wrote Carnival of the Animals for fun, but didn’t permit it to be published in his lifetime in case its playful nature detracted from his reputation as a serious composer. It has since become one of his best-known works.

 Ogden Nash, probably the 20th century’s most famous poet of light verse, wrote a rhymed narration for a 1949 recording. In this concert it will be performed by Kevin Sharkey (whose predecessors include Noel Coward and Bugs Bunny). Though this version has become a children’s classic, the verse and music are also wickedly satirical.

 Instrumentalists for Carnival of the Animals are: Jill Petricca (flute), Virginia Ryder (clarinet), Eugene Novotney (xylophone), Howard Kaufmann (glockenspiel), Cindy Moyer and Karen Davy (violin), Sherry Hanson (viola), Kira Weiss (cello), Daniel Colson (bass), Daniela Mineva and Yumi Watanabe (piano.) 

 Why the larger ensembles this time? One reason, Cindy Moyers suggests, is visiting professor Daniel Colson, a composer and more to the point, a bassist. “It’s been many years since we’ve had the available personnel to do repertoire that requires both bass and cello,” she said. “I think everyone got excited to play music that includes bass. You’ll notice that Daniel is playing in every piece.” 

 The spring 2015 Welcome Concert is performed on Saturday February 7 at 8 p.m. in Fulkerson Recital Hall on the HSU campus. Tickets are $10 general/$5 seniors, children and students, from the HSU Box Office (826-3928) or at the door. This Faculty Artist Series concert is produced by the HSU Music Department. 

Welcome Concert: The Program

Performers rehearse for Bach cantata: Elisabeth Harrington, Cindy Moyer, Karen Davy, Gregory Granoff, Gilbert Cline, Daniel Colson, Kira Weiss, Sherry Hanson.

Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen, BWV 51 by  Johann Sebastian Bach
 I. Aria: Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen
II. Recitative: Wir beten zu dem Tempel an
 III. Aria: Höchster, mache deine Güte
 IV. Chorale: Sei Lob und Preis mit Ehren

 Elisabeth Harrington, soprano
 Gilbert Cline, trumpet
 Cindy Moyer, violin
 Karen Davy, violin
 Sherry Hanson, viola
 Kira Weiss, cello
 Daniel Colson, bass
 Gregory Granoff, harpsichord

Quintet in A Major, Op. 115, “The Trout”  by Franz Schubert
 I. Allegro vivace

 Cindy Moyer, violin
 Karen Davy, viola
 Kira Weiss, cello
 Daniel Colson, bass
 Daniela Mineva, piano

Blue in Green by Miles Davis 
A Foggy Day by George Gershwin 

 Daniel Colson, bass
 Brian Post, piano






I N T E R M I S S I O N

 Carnival of the Animals by Camille Saint-Saëns 
 I. Introduction and Royal March of the Lion
II. Hens and Roosters
 III. Wild Asses
 IV. Tortoises
 V. The Elephant
 VI. Kangaroos
 VII. Aquarium
 VIII. People with Long Ears (Mules)
 IX. The Cuckoo in the Middle of the Wood
 X. Aviary
 XI. Pianists
 XII. Fossils
 XIII. The Swan
 XIV. Finale

 Kevin Sharkey, narrator
 Jill Petricca, flute
 Viginia Ryder, clarinet
 Eugene Novotney, xylophone
 Howard Kaufmann, glockenspiel
 Cindy Moyer, violin
 Karen Davy, violin
 Sherry Hanson, viola
 Kira Weiss, cello
 Daniel Colson, bass
 Daniela Mineva, piano
 Yumi Watanabe, piano

Honors Recital February 6

Twelve students chosen for excellence by the HSU Music Department faculty will perform in the annual Honors Recital on Friday February 6. 

 From performances after fall semester, a faculty jury selects the best among music students enrolled in studio lessons to represent each of the six areas: voice, piano, percussion, strings, brass and woodwinds. 

 This year’s performers are: singers Lorena Tamayo (mezzo-soprano) and Chris Parreira (baritone); Michael Donovan (violin), Andrew Heavelin (guitar), Craig Hull (trombone), Bret Johnson (trombone), Kyle McGinnis (alto saxophone), Niamh Mercer (Timpani), Rebeca Ramos (flute), Madeline Shapiro (piano), Vance Umphrey (snare drum) and Levi Walls (piano). 

Recital selections range from Bach and Mozart to Eliot Carter and Ryo Noda. Staff pianist John Chernoff accompanies several pieces. 

 The 2015 Honors Recital is presented on Friday, February 6 at 8 p.m. in the Fulkerson Recital Hall on the HSU campus in Arcata. Admission is free.

2015 Honors Recital: The Program

Sonata for Bass Trombone and Piano by Alec Wilder
 IV. Expressivo
 V. Swinging
 Bret Johnson, trombone
 John Chernoff, piano

 "Intorno all’idol mio" from Orontea by Antonio Cesti
 Lorena Tamayo, mezzo-soprano
 John Chernoff, piano

 "La vallée des cloches" from Mirroirs by Maurice Ravel
 Levi Walls, piano

 Concerto in C Major, Op. 48 by Dmitri Kabalevsky
 Allegro molto e con brio
 Michael Donovan, violin
 Levi Walls, piano

 Der Nachtgang (text by Otto Julius Bierbaum) by Richard Strauss
 Evening (text by Thomas Marten) by John Jacob Niles
 Chris Parreira, baritone
 John Chernoff, piano

 Piece Concertante, op. 27 by Carlos Salzedo
 Craig Hull, trombone
 John Chernoff, piano

 Intermission

 Prim for Solo Snare Drum (1984) by Askell Masson
 Vance Umphrey, Snare Drum

 Recitative for Solo Timpani (1950) by Elliot Carter
 Niamh Mercer, Timpani

 “Allemande” from Solo Partita in A minor by Johann Sebastian Bach
 Rebeca Ramos, flute

 Usher Waltz by Nikita Koshkin
 Andrew Heavelin, guitar

 Improvisation #1 by Ryo Noda
 Kyle McGinnis, alto saxophone

 Concerto in C minor, K. 491 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
 III. Allegretto
 Madeline Shapiro, piano
John Chernoff, piano