Orchestra will perform "Courtly Dances for Winds"

The Wisconsin Wind Orchestra returns to Carroll University for its concert, “Courtly Dances for Winds,” on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2014, at 8 p.m. in the Humphrey Memorial Chapel, 238 N. East Ave., Waukesha. This event is free and open to the public.

The resident professional ensemble of Carroll University is conducted by Lawrence Dale Harper, professor of music. The centerpiece of the concert will be “Wind Serenade, Op. 44,” of the great Czech composer, Antonín Dvořák. Written in 1878, it is one of the composer’s most beloved pieces due to its consistently sunny and optimistic mood, memorable tunes and infectious dance rhythms. The third and fourth movements in particular borrow heavily on the tradition of Czech dances called the “furiant” and the “sousedska.”

Also on the program is the delightful Renaissance-inspired music written in the 20th century by Robert Spittal, “Consorts for 10 Winds.” This work is set in three movements, beginning with Jeux (Games) that is reminiscent of a court dance or ballet. The second movement recalls the Renaissance tradition of singing a morning love song, or Aubade, in the contrapuntal style of a motet. The third movement is a rollicking Salterello dance movement meant as pure fun and entertainment.

Rounding out the program will be a virtuosic display of music, “9 Characteristic Pieces,” written by the prolific French composer, Jean Françaix.

For more information, contact the Music Office at 262.524.7182 or smeyer@carrollu.edu.

About Carroll University
Carroll, Wisconsin’s oldest four-year institution of higher learning, is an independent, co-educational comprehensive university grounded in the liberal arts tradition. Incorporated in 1846, it offers bachelor’s degrees in 57 majors and master’s degrees in business administration, education, exercise physiology, graphic communication, nursing, physician assistant studies and software engineering, as well as a clinical doctorate in physical therapy.