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Arts & Life
The Clarion \ November 13, 2019
Wind Ensemble Concert
‘A Salute to Our Veterans ’
By Chloe McGee
Arts & Life Editor
The Brevard College Wind Ensemble took
the stage to perform a musical selection in
honor of United States’ veterans last Thursday
in the Porter Center. Dr. Eric Peterson, Director
of Bands, conducted the concert.
With respects the night’s patriotic theme,
the band opened with John Williams’ Midway
March—a riveting tune that was originally
composed for the 1976 motion picture
Midway. The piece celebrates the Battle of
Midway during World War II in which the
U.S. Signals Intelligence broke a Japanese
encryption code, allowing U.S. forces to
plan a victorious counterattack. In his march,
Williams alludes to the code with a series of
repetitive staccato notes played in the brass.
The ensemble then performed David
Maslanka’s On This Bright Morning,
wholeheartedly capturing the uncertainties of
life as well as the possibilities that are sure to
ensue. “On This Bright Morning acknowledges
the struggle, and the feelings of pain and loss
in times of transition, but embodies the pure
joy of realizing the bigger life. On this bright
morning, life is new, life is possible,” Maslanka
wrote in his composition notes.
Next on the program was an emotionally rich
orchestration written by Jeremy Bell entitled
Forgotten Heroes. This composition serves as an
homage to those who have selflessly fought to
preserve our nation’s freedoms without receiving
the well-deserved honor and recognition. Bell
specifically dedicates his work to the women of
our military forces.
Eternal Father, Strong to Save continued the
program’s commemorative motif as the piece
is also known as the Navy Hymn, appearing
in most hymnals. The original words were
first published as a poem in 1860 by William
Whiting for a student that was to take sail for
the United States; Whereas the melody was
later composed in 1861 by the Episcopalian
Reverend John B. Dykes. The original lyrics to
Eternal Father, Strong to Save was featured in
the program’s booklet along with other works
of complimentary poetry.
Directly following the Navy Hymn, an
isolated snare drum call echoed throughout the
music hall signaling the beginning of the next
piece entitled Celebration of Taps. Written by
Daniel Butterfield in 1862, the composure was
inspired by a foundational melody of patriotic
repertoire: A 24-note bugle call known as
“Taps,” which is played ceremoniously at
military funerals.
After a moment of due solemnity, the
ambiance was lightened through an exciting
performance of Ryan George’s JINX. This
mischievous composition plays off of the
superstitious notion that when one’s luck runs
out, they must have become cursed or, better
yet, jinxed.
As a tribute to five distinct branches of U.S.
military, the band’s finale was a compilation
piece titled Armed Forces Medley, which
featured excerpts from the Coast Guard,
Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and Army’s
official anthems. The veterans in attendance
were welcomed on stage to be honored as
their branch’s song was played, prompting
a tremendous applause and standing ovation
from members of the audience. Undoubtedly,
this commemorative display was a glorious
ending to a night of abounding patriotism and
wonderful music.
Brevard College senior art exhibition
By Zach Dickerson
Campus News Editor
After years of hard work and determination, it
all paid off for Olivia Murray and Kristina Cloud
when “Handmade Tale” Exhibition opened on
Friday, Nov. 8.
“When I was little I liked to play in the dirt,
get messy and just be myself,” Cloud, sculpture
concentration, said. She first got started really
working with clay when she started taking
classes at a community college and continued
this work when she became a member of
Brookgreen Gardens in South Carolina and took
classes there.
“I like to work with clay,” Cloud said, “because
it is flexible, soft, it has a natural feel and I enjoy
working with my hands and manipulating and
evoking emotion into my figures.” Cloud got the
idea for her work after seeing figures in an Art
History course with Anne Chapin and she just
adopted that style and made it her own.
Each of the figures that Cloud created for the
show has a different texture and weight. “My
figures started with arms and hands,” Cloud said,
“and I then took them away so I could focus on
the figure of the torso more.”
“I endeavor to create forms that evoke feelings
of elegance, simplicity and strength in viewers,”
Cloud said in her artist statement. “I feel that
I reach my creative potential when working
with the female figure; capturing a moment of
gestural grace through a physically direct, clay
modeling process.”
Cloud explained her process of hollowing
out the figures and then put them together. But
first she would get a mass of clay and work and
play with it until it becomes what she wants it
to be and what feels right. She used methods of
adding, subtracting and shaping clay.
Murray, sculpture and painting concentrations,
focused her pieces in the show more on
Scandanavian folklore.
See 'Brevard College senior art exhibition'
on next page
Photo by Chloe McGee |
(Above) ‘Birth of Venus’ by Kristina Cioud.
(On front page) ‘Elegant Rythm of the Female
Rgure (Group 1)’ by Krisitina Cloud. Photo by Zach
Dickerson.