Thursday, May 22 – 1:00pm
Ed Landreth Hall
Concert: Army Brass Quintet

Sergeants Major Dennis Edelbrock and Woodrow English, trumpets
Sergeant First Class Joseph Lovinsky, French Horn
Sergeant Major Scott Shelsta,trombone
The Seargeant Major of the U.S. Army Band, Jack Tilbury, tuba

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John Irish, reporter

With the good fortune of hearing this group again (see the review of the U.S. Army Brass Quintet’s Youth Day performance), this writer eagerly anticipated round two of the quintet’s conference offerings. Performances at this year’s conference marked their sixth performance at ITG conferences throughout the years. Most of this group has been together since 1975, making them one of the oldest brass quintets around today. Their seamless rapport with each other, flawless ensemble, and camaraderie was obvious to all.

Beginning with J.S. Bach’s My Spirit be Joyful, the trumpets sounded their opening passages from the rear of the auditorium, joining the rest of the group on stage for a brilliant start to the performance. Five dances from the late 16th Century were next presented. Entitled Fanciful and Delightful Ditties from the Time of King James I, the set was arranged by Dennis Edelbrock, one of the two trumpeters. The varied styles and tempi were handled superbly by the quintet.
Concerto in Eb by Christoph Forster featured the newest member of the group, Joseph Lovinsky. Virtuoso horn playing on this engaging piece from the late Baroque was evident to all. The future of the group is certainly secure judging from the talents of their newest member.

Jan Bach’s Rounds and Dances, a piece in the repertoire of only the best quintets, received a sterling performance. They demonstrated precise rhythmic interplay, a solidity of style, dazzling technique, and beauty of expression in this difficult work. Tuba player Jack Tilbury, performed the soaring melodies in the second movement with true aplomb. The enthusiastic applause was well deserved. Debussy’s evocative, moonlit piece, Claire de Lune, showed the group in a graceful beauty of subdued, soft playing this work requires.

The group’s accompaniment to the short, 1917 silent film, Teddy at the Throttle, brought down the house just as it did on the group’s Youth Day concert. It was even more impressive when presented in the larger auditorium, not to mention even more enjoyable with the audience participating by hissing the villain (who tied the heroine to the railroad tracks) and cheering the dog, Teddy.

Music from the Civil War era, played on authentic instruments of the period, offered an intriguing glimpse of music played by our brass-playing predecessors. Performing the same pieces that were heard on Youth Day, the quintet made a stunning show of music from 140-year old instruments. The two trumpeters, Woody English and Dennis Edelbrock were brilliant in the final selection of the set, the “dueling” Wood-up Quickstep. To close the concert, the group performed a rousing version of Glinka’s Overture to Ruslan and Ludmilla. Fiery tonguing and bravado aplenty brought an immediate standing ovation upon the final chords of the piece. America the Beautiful, in a gorgeous modern setting, was played as an encore ending this wonderful concert with patriotic flair.

Trumpet Prelude:
Stephen F. Austin State University
Trumpet Ensemble
Dr. Gary T. Wurtz, director

Soul Winner by Jay Glossup
written for the SFASU Trumpet Ensemble for the 2003 ITG Conference,

Ebullience by Stephen Lias
commissioned by the SFASU Trumpet Ensemble and the Gamma Phi chapter of
Kappa Kappa Psi for the 2003 ITG Conference.

Members:
Stephen Campbell, Michael Icenogle, Jerry Gonzales, John Green, Bryan Gripp, Sarah Khatri, Garrett Martin, Andrea Matthews , Ashley McAdams, Michael Ragsdale, Liz Simpson, Dee Spencer, Ryan Wallace, Beth Wiebe, Roger Williams, Josh Yankive

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Program

My Spirit Be Joyful - J.S. Bach

Fanciful & Humorous Ditties - arr. SGM Dennis Edelbrock

from the Time of King James I

Concerto in Eb Christoph Forster

Adagio
Allegro

SFC Joseph Lovinsky, French horn

Rounds and Dances - Jan Bach

Fanfare
Sarabande
Carioca
Idyl
Galop

Claire de Lune Claude Debussy - arr. SGM Charles Seipp

Teddy at the Throttle - arr. SFC Paul Murtha
Performed in conjunction with the 1911 silent movie by Mack Sennett’s “Keystone Studio”

Music of the American Civil War Original music performed on authentic Civil War instruments From the collection of Mark Elrod

Air Varie - Arthur Pryor
SGM Scott Shelsta, trombone

Russlan and Ludmilla Overture - Michael Glinka