CSU University Symphony – 11-30-21
10The University Symphony Orchestra, directed by Wes Kenney performs pieces that explore a variety of new worlds. With faculty guest artist Drew Leslie, Trombone
The concert begins with Samuel Coleridge Taylor’s “Danse Negre” from African Suite, Op. 35, a turn of the 20th century work that depicts the Black British composer’s heritage. The orchestra performed Novelletten for strings and percussion last year, but this is the ensemble’s first performance of a work for full symphony by the groundbreaking composer.
Featuring one of the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance’s newest faculty members performing with the orchestra for the first time, Dr. Drew Leslie demonstrates his incredible prowess on what some people call “The Voice of God!” In other words, the trombone. This portion of the concert includes Lars Erik Larsson Concertino for Trombone and Strings, a piece that explores serialism, and Arthur Pryor’s Blue Bells of Scotland.
The concert concludes with the infamous Symphony No. 9 in E minor “From the New World” by Antonin Dvorak, written 1893 after the composer arrived in America. The extraordinary work is both popular and timeless, including the famous “Largo” movement that became the spiritual “Going Home.”
The performance was recorded by the RAMProductions student live event production team. RAMProductions was created by the Department of Journalism and Media Communication at Colorado State University with support from Campus Television (CTV), the College of Liberal Arts, and CSU External Relations.