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Cal Poly Humboldt Percussion Ensemble, World Percussion Group, and Calypso Band

Fulkerson Recital Hall

The Department of Dance, Music, and Theatre at Cal Poly Humboldt presents Contemporary Music for Percussion performed by the Cal Poly Humboldt Percussion Ensemble; the Exciting Rhythms of the Afro-Cuban Bantú Tradition performed by the World Percussion Group; And the Festive Steel Drum Sounds of the Caribbean performed by the Humboldt Calypso Band. The performances are directed by Howard Kaufman & Eugene Novotney Join us Saturday, December 2nd at 8:00 p.m. at the Fulkerson Recital Hall. Concert tickets are $10 General, $5 Children, and $5 for Cal Poly Humboldt students with ID. Tickets may be purchased at the door or in advance at centerarts.humboldt.edu From the “All Events” drop down menu select “School of Dance, Music, and Theatre” and select your event.

Director Eugene Novotney is enthusiastic about the evenings program, “Every piece on this concert is fantastic, and I am so excited to share this music with the Humboldt community! If you make the effort to come out to this concert, you will definitely not be disappointed!”

The Cal Poly Humboldt Percussion Ensemble begins the program by featuring four exciting works, three of which never before heard on the North Coast. The first premiere is a piece composed by Christopher Whyte entitled, The Harrison Modes. This work features a large percussion orchestra consisting of nine performers playing two marimbas, two vibraphones, ceramic bowls, glockenspiel, crotales, and a variety of drums, found objects, and percussion instruments. The piece pays homage to the celebrated composer Lou Harrison, who wrote music for percussion, often with Southeast Asian influences, particularly those of Javanese gamelan. In his piece, Whyte uses four melodic modes and polyrhythmic textures commonly found in Harrison’s music in his own unique way. It is an exciting and visually appealing piece that at times is soft and meditative and at other times brisk and forthcoming.

The second premier on the program, Raspberry Tango, is a marimba quartet by composer Dustin Schulze. It is fun and playful piece with some unique counterpoint and harmony. Mr. Schulze is an up-and-coming composer whose compositions have been performed at the Midwest, PASIC, and TMEA conferences, and are played regularly in concert halls across the world. His work has also been featured as an “Editors’ Choice” by the JW Pepper Music Publishing Company.

The third premier on the program is a percussion quartet composed by Ian Briskey entitled Continuum.
Continuum was written to convey a progression of continuous motion. It provides several opportunities to
demonstrate musicality through extreme dynamic ranges, demanding rudimental control, and ensemble timing and blend. Mr Briskey notes the following:

“My students inspired the title of this piece through their personal experiences and musical journeys. The intro conveys the initial excitement students have for their new instrument, which is soon followed by stress and frustration. The repetitive nature of the music evokes hours of practice and hard work, while the middle section brings to mind the importance of working as a team within an ensemble. The end of the piece is meant to showcase the confidence students gain in themselves and their musical abilities as well as the joy of performing.”
— Ian Briskey

The final featured work for the contemporary ensemble is entitled Lids by Ed Argenziano. Lids was written for as many 30-gallon metal and rubber trash cans as possible. In our version we will be using eleven cans for nine players. This piece has choreographed interlocking parts spread between two groups with the rubber cans playing more of a bass role. Inspired by the music of drum corps, this piece is guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser.

The World Percussion Group’s portion of the show will feature a suite of traditional Afro-Cuban folkloric rhythms from the Bantú/Congo traditions in Cuba. The Bantú or Congo nation in Cuba consisted of people from the Gabon and Kongo regions of Africa who were enslaved by the Spanish beginning in the 16th century. Kongo Cabildos (mutual aid societies) were formed by freed Kongo slaves, who were instrumental in maintaining their cultural and religious practices, which included drumming, dancing, and singing. The World Percussion Group will be performing a variety of this music, which remarkably survived the horrors of slavery and are still performed in Cuba today.

The second half of the program will feature the festive dance music of the Humboldt State Calypso Band. For almost 40-years, the Calypso Band has been performing and entertaining local audiences and has proven to be one of Humboldt County’s favorite and most enduring musical ensembles. The Calypso Band will feature several high-energy compositions from the Caribbean in their set, including the modern Panorama classics from the island of Trinidad – If We Really Want by Ray Holman and Misbehave by Len “Boogsie” Sharpe. The Calypso Band will also feature multiple players performing improvised solos in many of the bands’ compositions, showcasing the talent and the artistry of its membership. The Humboldt State Calypso Band prides itself in maintaining an accurate and authentic connection to the roots of the steel band movement and the innovative musicians of Trinidad & Tobago, the island nation on which this unique percussion phenomenon was born, and this performance will represent some of the best music that Trinidad & Tobago has produced. Eugene Novotney adds, “It will be sure to rock the house!”

Novotney urges you to not miss out on an incredible musical experience, “This concert is certain to be an evening of significant and memorable performances with strong rhythmic focus. The energy of the Humboldt audience is what makes our concerts special. We feed off the emotion of our crowd, and that support gives us the focus and drive to play our very best. We cannot do it alone—we hope to see you there!”

DATES/TIMES

WHERE

• Fulkerson Recital Hall

PRICE

• $10
• $5 Cal Poly Students with ID
• $5 Children