Symphonic Band Fall 2023

The PCC Symphonic Band dynamically led their audience through an expanse of countries and periods of time, creating a musical travelogue. Conducted by Nick Kozar, the musicians began with one of the best-known American marches, “Blaze Away” by Abe Holzmann. They continued with Arabian Dances by Brian Balmages, a fanfare prelude on “And Can It Be” written by Charles Wesley and arranged by Timothy Johnson, and “Xerxes” by John Mackey. To follow these classic pieces, the band performed a more modern selection: “March: Blue Spring,” written by Masafumi Suzuki in 2022 for the All Japan Band Competition. “Vesuvius” by Frank Ticheli portrayed the people of Pompeii, and “Yamagata Fantasy for Band” by Kunihiro Sugiura recalled Japanese folk tunes. The climax of the concert was the Belgian “Homage” by J. Van der Roost, a piece originally composed as a 20th-anniversary celebration for conductor Jan de Haan.