The Fond du Lac Symphonic Band will present its 48th annual Cathedral Concert at St. Paul’s Cathedral on Sunday, Nov. 17. Concerts at St. Paul’s have been held every November since 1976. Under the direction of Music Director Dr. Evan Chancellor and Associate Conductor Jill Wagner, the concert will begin at 3:00 p.m.
According to Dr. Chancellor: “This program is one of many contrasts and grew around two pieces: Chorale and Shaker Dance by John Zdechlik, a well-known classic, and Full Tilt! by Richard Saucedo, a piece new to the band’s repertoire. The contrasting settings in these pieces got me thinking about the ways music moves. It moves us deeply in the emotional sense, it encourages us to move, to dance and to engage with it, and it moves literally in space and especially in time. The Zdechlik piece contrasts a more hymn-like setting with many varied and lively ways of setting the tune “Simple Gifts.” Full Tilt! challenges our perceptions of motion, frequently changing meter so that a musical phrase is often disjunct and plays with our sense of pulse and time.Throughout this program, we feature a number of beautiful hymn tunes including Simple Gifts, All Creatures of Our God and King, and Our Father, God in Heaven Above as well as arrangements of a few beloved Christmas carols. Jill Koerwitz will conduct Give Us This Day by David Maslanka, a fascinating piece with influences of Thich Nhat Hahn and Johann Sebastian Bach. I think the audience will really love the rich variety of this program and we look forward to sharing it with them. “
In keeping with long-standing tradition, the concert will close with the band singing John Rutter’s The Lord Bless You and Keep You, with an accompaniment newly-arranged for small wind ensemble by local music educator and composer, Dr. David Thompson.
There is no admission charge for the concert. A free-will offering will be received.