Arizona,
USA -
The UA (University of Arizona) Steel bands program is back
this spring with its exciting new
concert: “The Carnival is We,”
featuring the University of Arizona
World Music Gang.
Blue Steel focuses
on an introduction to the instrument
for students who have little
previous experience. It serves as
the apprentice group to UA Steel.
UA
Steel, the top band of the program,
performs many times during the
semester around the campus and in
the Southern Arizona area, including
most recently for the Authors’ Table
at the Tucson Festival of Books.
The World Music Gang is a student
ensemble that emphasizes the
performance and study of non-western
musical styles, such as West African
drumming and Brazilian samba. They
were most recently seen playing with
Tucson based rock group Calexico at
the annual KXCI-FM 91.3 fundraiser,
“The Fiesta en el Barrio Viejo.”
For the “The Carnival is We”
concert,
Blue Steel will be displaying their
semester-long work under the
direction of Eric Hines. Blue Steel
will perform an arrangement by Andy
and Jeff Narell of Len “Boogsie” Sharpe’s
This Feelin’ Nice, The Bee’s Melody
by steel pan legend Lord Kitchener,
along many other tunes.
UA Steel
(pictured), under the direction of
Stephen Tipping, will feature
several selections from the steel
drum repertoire, including a
transcription of the 1999 Panorama
composition piece
Carnival is We.
Originally performed by Fonclaire
Steel Orchestra,
Carnival Is We was
arranged by Ken “Professor” Philmore
and transcribed by Ross McGinnis,
Thom Martin and Cynthia Barlow (all
members of UA Steel) with his
permission. UA Steel has one of
the few exclusive copies of this
tune and is excited to be performing
it once again. UA Steel will also be
performing Andy Narell’s
Sea of
Stories alongside the UA World Music
Gang. Sea of Stories is a three-part
piece consisting of different
Caribbean melodies and styles.
The UA World Music Gang, under
direction of Cliff Berrien, has been
working in collaboration with UA
Steel to provide an authentic
percussive landscape to each of
these sections. This is a unique
collaboration between the two
university ensembles to create a
brand new arrangement of what is now
a staple of the steel drum
repertoire.
The UA Steel program is student-run
and is entirely funded through its
concerts and outside performances.
All funds raised go towards tuning,
repairing, and replacing the
instruments of the band. The
Carnival is We
concert will be streamed live on
UA’s channel
www.ustream.tv/channel/ua-percussion-studio.
Concert date & time: April 17, 2011,
3:00 p.m. PST
Venue:
Crowder Hall, School of Music,
University of Arizona
General
Admission: $9; Senior/UA Employee:
$7; UA Student $5