CANCELLED

The Symphony Band celebrates Earth Day with repertoire that helps us remember we all are part of one large community: Planet Earth. David Maslanka’s program note from Give Us This Day is a terrific reminder to all of us:

“The words ‘Give us this day’ are, of course, from the Lord’s Prayer, but the inspiration for this music is Buddhist. I have recently read a book by the Vietnamese Bhuddist monk Thich Nhat Hahn (pronounced “Tick Nat Hahn”) entitled For a Future to be Possible. His premise is that a future for the planet is only possible if individuals become deeply mindful of themselves, deeply connected to who they really are. While this is not a new idea, and something that is an ongoing struggle for everyone, in my estimation it is the issue for world peace. For me, writing music, and working with people to perform music, are two of those points of deep mindfulness.

Music makes the connection to reality, and by reality I mean a true awakeness and awareness. Give Us This Day gives us this very moment of awakeness and awareness so that we can build a future in the face of a most dangerous and difficult time.” - David Maslanka

Cathedrals (2007) - Salfelder

America, the Beautiful (1910) - Ward, arr. Dragon

Sandburg Reflections (2002) - Lewis J. Buckley (soprano TBA), (Jose Ignacio Blesa Lull, graduate conductor)

Colonial Song (1912/1918) - Grainger (James Minnix, graduate conductor)

Give Us This Day (2007) - Maslanka