Lucía Larruscain

Texas Wesleyan Wind Ensemble Director Dr. Thomas Willmann directed the Wind Ensemble and ILT Keller-Saginaw High School’s Orchestra to perform “Tripwire”, concluding the night.

Texas Wesleyan’s Wind Ensemble collaborated with ILT Keller-Saginaw High School for their first concert of the semester “Autumn Vibes” on Oct.17. 

Beginning the night, ILT Keller-Saginaw High School’s Orchestra performed a piece titled “Into the Stars”. The music sounded like it came straight out of a fantasy story, being upbeat with a festive rhythm. Although the title was at first confusing for an autumn themed concert, the music itself was fitting. 

The second piece played by the ILT Keller-Saginaw High School Orchestra was the “Star Wars (Main Theme)”. The performance complimented the previous piece in a strange way, as they both envisioned a fantasy world full of color. It kept the energy and momentum from “Into the Stars”, but the tone throughout the performance started to change. This change began to set the stage for the next group of students performing. 

This new tone was more serious than the previous tones, as was shown in the third musical composition “Terra Nova”. This specific performance was different than the others; being directed by a student of the ILT Keller-Saginaw High Elite String Ensemble. The performance itself seemed less energetic than the others, but instead was more fluid and vivid in painting a picture of autumn. 

The final performance by the ILT Keller-Saginaw High Elite String Ensemble was changed from the original program to “Rosin Eating Zombies”. The new musical composition leaned more into the Halloween spirit, painting a new mental image of the autumn season. It had a spooky vibe to it and gave a falling sensation through a combination of loud, eccentric sounds, mixed with a relaxed hum from various instruments. 

The first performance by Texas Wesleyan’s Wind Ensemble “Deus ex Machina” had the same type of rhythm and vibrance as the first performance by the Orchestra. Midway through the piece an energetic beat was introduced that produced a buoyant vibration that bellowed throughout the concert hall, recapturing the attention of the audience. 

“Danse Macabre”, the second instrumental done by the Wind Ensemble, was another performance that filled Martin Hall with the playful Halloween spirit. The performance was full of color, with there seeming to be a conflict portrayed. There was rising tension throughout the song that had an abrupt finish, which is something reflected in most Halloween movies. 

Taking a turn from the festive themes of the night, the Ensemble played “Life Painting”. The peaceful melody and somewhat somber notes were refreshing. Unlike the previous performances, the mental imagery gained from this instrumental was like a cool and calming night. 

The last performance by the Wind Ensemble was called “Suite Treats”. Instead of being one song, “Suite Treats” is a conglomeration of five short pieces that string together. The most notable of these five was titled “Kitchen Sync”. This was a unique piece that envisioned the stress and flow of working or cooking in a kitchen. There was a lot of movement throughout the performance, but what those in the audience found most unique was the variety of items used to convey the message. Among the items were a plastic bag, balled up paper and chef hats.  

To conclude the night, all the musicians came together to perform “Tripwire”, which was a fitting end to the night’s autumn themed concert.