Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025 • 7:30 p.m.
Weigel Auditorium
Columbus, OH
WIND SYMPHONY
Russel C. Mikkelson, conductor
Shawn Davern, graduate conductor
Laura Portune, soprano
Neptune Chorus, members of Women's Glee Club
Jordan Saul, conductor
"The Planets"
PROGRAM
Symphony No. 2
Frank Ticheli (b. 1958)
I. Shooting Stars
Shawn Davern, graduate conductor
The composer writes: Shooting Stars was commissioned by the Pacific Symphony, Carl St.Clair, Music Director, for the occasion of the opening concert of their 25th anniversary season. The work received its premiere performance by the orchestra on October 8-9, 2003 at the Orange County Performing Arts Center's Segerstrom Hall. It is offered as a symbol of my enduring friendship with conductor Carl St. Clair, and as a gesture of thanks for the seven years I enjoyed as the Pacific Symphony's Composer in Residence (1991-98). Originally, St. Clair requested a short orchestral fanfare for the occasion. But having already given the orchestra Pacific Fanfare in 1996, I felt a strong need to create something different this time. I had in mind a short, ecstatic dance, bright and breathless in quality. The work's title came after its completion, but throughout the creative process I was imagining flashes of color that come and go quickly. 'White-note' clusters are sprinkled everywhere, suggesting streaks of bright light. High above, the E-flat clarinet shouts out the main theme. Underneath, the low brasses and reeds punch out a series of staccatissimo chords, intensifying the dance-like energy. Within the first half-minute, a chordal horn passage interrupts the main theme, still sharing its breathless, urgent quality. Fleeting events of many kinds are cut and pasted at unexpected moments, keeping the ear on its toes. The piece burns quickly, and ends explosively, scarcely leaving a trail.
Goodnight Moon
Eric Whitacre (b. 1970)
Lyrics; Margaret Wise Brown
arr. Verena Mösenbichler-Bryant
Laura Portune, soprano
The composer writes: Over the past few years I must have read Goodnight Moon to my son a thousand times -- maybe more. Somewhere around reading number 500, I began hearing little musical fragments as I read, and over time those fragments began to blossom into a simple, sweet lullaby. I knew it was a long shot, but I asked my manager, Claire Long, to contact HarperCollins and see if they would allow the text to be set to music. To my surprise and delight they agreed -- the first time they had ever allowed Goodnight Moon to be used in such a way.
I composed the piece relatively quickly, originally setting the text for harp, string orchestra, and my son's mother, soprano Hila Plitmann. I later arranged Goodnight Moon for SATB choir and piano. More recently, my dear friend Verena Mösenbichler-Bryant arranged the piece for wind ensemble and soloist. The melody of Goodnight Moon will forever make me think of those quiet nights, reading my son to sleep.
—Brief interval—
The Planets, Op. 32
Gustav Holst (1874–1934)
transcribed by Merlin Patterson
I. Mars, the Bringer of War
II. Venus, the Bringer of Peace
III. Mercury, the Winged Messenger
IV. Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity
V. Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age
VI. Uranus, the Magician
VII. Neptune, the Mystic
Neptune Chorus, members of Women's Glee Club
Together with his friend and follow composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, Holst played a major role in re-energizing English concert music by injecting it with the spirit, and at times the letter, of the country's folk music. Both composers also created music in a more cosmopolitan style, such as this engaging, brilliantly scored suite for orchestra. The Planets is widely thought of as Holst's most popular composition, much to his chagrin.
When it came to outside interests, Holst usually concerned himself only with those that stimulated his creative imagination. During a tour of Spain in 1913, a fellow traveler, author Clifford Bax, introduced him to astrology. Soon afterwards, Holst wrote a friend, “...recently the character of each planet suggested lots to me, and I have been studying astrology fairly closely."
The large-scale orchestral suite that resulted from this interest depicts the astrological characters of seven planets in our solar system (he didn’t include Earth since it is astrologically inert, and Pluto had yet to be discovered). These characters differ from their mythological personalities, although Holst's portrait of Venus manages to conjure both her mythological beauty and her astrological peacefulness.
Until recently, there was no complete transcript of the suite in existence for concert band. Holst himself had arranged (not transcribed) Mars and Jupiter for concert band, but had not arranged any of the other movements for such an ensemble. This current work is unique in that it is a true and complete transcription of the suite, where Merlin Patterson took everything from the original orchestral work and represented it in its original key, with nothing omitted or changed.
— Note by Kathy Boster
Personnel
Wind Symphony
Piccolo
Lance Korte
Shreeya Yampati
Flute
Jonathan Mitchell *
Lance Korte
Shreeya Yampati
Kaleigh Rummel
Katelyn Cheng
Karis Brennan
Danica Lipp
Oboe
Benjamin Newman *
Briele Vollmuth
Laura Pitner
English Horn
Laura Pitner
Bassoon
Brandon Golpe *
Isaiah Heyman
Gunnar Pellissier
Steven Swiderski
Contrabassoon
Gunnar Pellissier
E-flat Clarinet
Samuel Langer
Clarinet
Almudena Curros Varela *
Bernadette John
Samuel Langer
Xinchen Du
Asa Mattson
Joseph Zishka
Favius Peña-Amaya
Sonny Day
Landen Gedeon
Bass Clarinet
Leah Henning
Christopher Larsen Rivera
Contrabass Clarinet
Christopher Larsen Rivera
Alto Saxophone
Cooper Greenlees *
Ziheng Huang
Alyssa Hartman
Sammy Smith
Tenor Saxophone
Sean Bauman
Sammy Smith
Baritone Saxophone
Hudson Müller
Horn
Kaylee Skaris *
Andrew Waite
Olivia Boden
Nora Lemmon
Nicholas Blum
Paul Bissler
Trumpet
Brandon Ising *
Will Fisher
Bobby Petty
Nick Schnitzspahn
Abbey Zunic
Zach Heffner
Connor Caviness
Jude Abuzeide
Trombone
Gavin Abrams *
DJ Austin
Jacob Myers
Lucia Cherok
Sebastian Peña
Bass Trombone
Nik Henderson
Euphonium
Ayden Casa *
Andrew Eynon
Sayaka Iimura
Tuba
Justin White *
Zane Tekaucic
Adam Johnson
Percussion
Stephen Alexander *
Kye Pyeatt
Josh Green
Brody Fogle
Noah Landrum
Nathan Smith
Piano/Celeste
Manuel Vizurraga
Double Bass
Carson Wolf
Harp
Abigail Bachelor (faculty)
Neptune Chorus
Members of Women's Glee Club
Jordan Saul, conductor
Diana Chubak, collaborative pianist
Lindsey Scarberry, graduate teaching assistant
Choir 1
Soprano 1: Morgan Cline, Liz Gilbert, Kay Huvler
Soprano 2: Paola Crespo-Roman, Holly Hamilton, Ying Zhang
Alto 1: Crystal Zheng, Aubrey Liming, Greta Zender
Alto 2: Lillian Felkner, Mary Ann Hoelzel, Kayla Miller
Choir 2
Soprano 1: Alex Ensign, Marissa Maxwell, Evy Todd
Soprano 2: Summer Hussain, Evelyn Mignanou, Zoe Leasure
Alto 1: Audrey Yao, Macie Egbert, Grace Wright
Alto 2: Vivienne Garner, Sam Lowe, Abby Spatt
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Special Public Concerts in Mershon
Marching Band Hometown Concert
Friday, Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. | Mershon Auditorium, 1871 N. High St.
Enjoy an exciting new show when The Ohio State University Marching Band Hometown Concert performs at Mershon Auditorium. The Best Damn Band in the Land will entertain fans with selections from its popular halftime shows, fan favorites and traditional Ohio State tunes. Ticket information will be announced soon.
31st Annual Music Celebration Concert
Friday, Dec. 5 at 7:30 p.m. | Mershon Auditorium, 1871 N. High St.
Join us for our annual community celebration featuring student bands, choirs, jazz bands, orchestra and more. Ticket information will be announced soon.