Bernstein. Reed. Sousa. Del Borgo. Saucedo. If you appreciate rich harmonies, melodies both new and familiar, and high-level professional musicianship, you won’t want to miss this program:
Overture to Candide – Leonard Bernstein Symphony No. 3 – Alfred Reed The Corcoran Cadets – John Philip Sousa Symphonic Paraphrase – Elliot Del Borgo Symphonic Dances from Westside Story – Bernstein Wind Sprints – Richard Saucedo
We’re playing them all on Jan. 20 at 7 p.m., at Corbet Theatre in Centralia. $12 general admission. Students free with paying adult.
On Saturday, April 22, 2023, the NW Wind Symphony presents “Celebrate la Primavera – Spring!” a concert of lively, energetic, modern music.
The evening begins with Celebrations, a show-stopping fanfare by John Zdechlik. Grace by Brian Balmages wanders between solos as it evolves into the hymn tune “Amazing Grace.” Edward Gregson’s Celebration features each section of the band with virtuosic passages.
The second half opens with Stephen Melillo’s Godspeed featuring percussion. Pineapple Poll by Sir Charles Mackaras captures songs by Gilbert and Sullivan. Stephen Bulla’s Bond…James Bond closes the evening’s program with a nod to the silver screen’s most famous secret agent.
This show starts at 7 p.m. at Corbet Theatre on the Centralia College campus. Get tickets now for $12 (general admission) at Book ‘n’ Brush in Chehalis, or at the door the night of the event.
On Saturday, January 21, 2023, the NW Wind Symphony presents a concert of classical and movie music, all by composers named Williams.
John Williams might be the most well-known composer on the evening’s program. Listeners will enjoy music from movies like Star Wars, Raiders, Cowboys, and The Terminal.
Ralph Vaughan Williams was “not only a composer of the utmost importance for English music but also one of the great symphonists of the 20th century,” according to the R.V.W. Society. The evening’s program includes one of his most well-known pieces, English Folksong Suite. Also on the program are Flourish for Wind Band and Sea Songs.
Clifton Williams initially focused on orchestra music, but was later encouraged to compose for wind band also, which is what he’s perhaps better known for. The night’s program includes his Symphonic Dance No. 5 and Post War Prelude.
This show starts at 7 p.m. at Corbet Theatre on the Centralia College campus. Get tickets for $12 (general admission) now at Book ‘n’ Brush in Chehalis, or at the door the night of the event.
If you’re longing for a taste of the good old days, look no further than the Northwest Wind Symphony’s Oct. 15 “Celebrate Sousa” concert. The evening’s program features the music of John Philip Sousa and popular music of his time, performed the way Sousa’s band would have done it.
On the first half of his roadshow concerts, Sousa featured orchestral numbers transcribed for band, such as Ferdinand Herold’s “Zampa Overture.” Sousa also programmed a band feature. On our concert, we’ll feature Dane Hurd, trumpet soloist, performing Ernst Sachse’s “Concertino in Eb,” accompanied by brass band. These band features were usually followed by a “warhorse” piece — popular music performed by many orchestras and known to the audience. For our warhorse piece, we’ll bring you Franz von Suppe’s “Jolly Robbers Overture.”
Mixed into the repertoire of classical and popular music were Sousa’s marches, placed in between as encores. Our march encores for the first half are El Capitan, Liberty Bell, and The Thunderer — well-known and loved staples of Sousa’s now famous repertoire.
If you went out to see Sousa’s band back in the day, the second half of the concert would treat you to novelty numbers, with something unique or fun about each piece. On our October concert, Arthur Pryor’s “Whistler and His Dog” and Harry Lincoln’s “Midnight Fire Alarm” invite audience participation. Henri Kling’s “Two Little Bullfinches” features a piccolo duet, and on Sousa’s “Roosters Lay Eggs in Kansas,” you’ll find out just how many NWWS musicians can sing.
Our encore marches for the second half are the venerable “Washington Post” and Sousa’s most famous composition, “The Stars and Stripes Forever.” Although the march debuted in 1897, it found popularity during the Spanish-American War (1898), riding the rise of patriotic sentiment. In 1987, it became the official national march of the United States.
This show starts at 7 p.m. at Corbet Theatre on the Centralia College campus. Get tickets for $12 (general admission) now at Book ‘n’ Brush in Chehalis, or at the door the night of the event.
We’re back. After a two-year pause for the pandemic, we’re proud to once again bring high-caliber live music to southwest Washington. Mark your calendars for 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 23, 2022.
The program for our spring concert features American music by American composers. Some of the most well-known American composers served in and composed for military bands. We’ll begin the evening with Hounds of Spring by Alfred Reed, who served in the Army during World War II. Samuel Barber also served in the Army during World War II, composing Commando March after completing his tour of duty. Claude Thomas Smith composed Festival Variations for the U.S. Air Force Band.
If military service is a cornerstone of American society, so is our entertainment industry. Suite of Old American Dances, written by Broadway composer Robert Russell Bennett, recalls dances like the cake walk, the western one-step, and the rag. Leonard Bernstein’s Selections from Westside Story brings you songs from one of Broadway’s most the popular shows of all time. Grover’s Corners and Silverado celebrate the silver screen with music reminiscent of traditional American towns of the east coast and Wild West.
We’ll close the evening with a truly beautiful arrangement of America the Beautiful and crowd favorite Stars and Stripes Forever— two pieces of music that never fail to stir love and pride for country in the hearts of Americans.
The show starts at 7 p.m. at Corbet Theatre on the Centralia College campus. Get tickets for $12 (general admission) now at Book n Brush in Chehalis, or at the door the night of the event.
This 2015-2016 concert season marks our 25th year! The season opener this fall will feature music of Hollywood. Winter’s concert presents music of North and South America, and in the spring, we’ll wrap up our silver year with a tribute to the English heritage of concert band music.
The NWWS has a tradition of featuring fine guest artists, and our silver season won’t disappoint. Our fall concert features Nicklas Waroff, alto saxophonist, on soundtrack music from the Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks movie, Catch Me If You Can. Jameson Bratcher, tuba, and our own Dane Hurd, trumpet, play a double header on our winter concert. Another of our own, Rich Pasko, trombone, helps close our season with the modern and funky “Downtown Diversions” on our spring concert.
Mark your calendars for October 24, February 6, and April 16th. Please see our concert repertoire page for more details on programming, or our ticket page for purchasing information.
The Northwest Wind Symphony will be presenting the “All That Jazz” concert at Corbet Theatre on April 18th at 7 p.m.
Originally planned for January, a smoke alarm in Corbet Theatre caused the cancellation of the “All That Jazz” concert. NWWS decided to move the much-anticipated jazz concert music to April. We’ve also added another piece of music, a medley of songs popularized by Louis Armstrong, including “Hello Dolly,” “When the Saints Go Marching In,” and “What a Wonderful World.”
Tickets are available at the door or Book ‘n’ Brush for $12 general admission. Students enter free with a paying adult.
We would like to thank our devoted patrons who waited with us in January to see if the concert would go on. We look forward to presenting our jazzy repertoire for you in just a few weeks!
