Timothy Reynish, formerly conductor of wind ensembles at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, UK, will be conducting the Ithaca College Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Bands in upcoming free concerts. The Symphonic Band’s concert will be Tuesday, April 25 at 8:15 p.m. Ford Hall; the Wind Ensemble will perform on Thursday, April 27 at 8:15 p.m. in Ford Hall.
Both programs are very international in flavor and celebrate the 70th birthday of the distinguished composer, Sir Richard Rodney Bennett. Conductor Reynish is very active in commissioning new works for winds, and each concert will feature a world premiere. In all six of the works to be played were commissioned by Reynish.
The Symphonic Band will open with a suite by Gyorgy Ranki, drawn from his children’s opera based on the Hans Christian Andersen story “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” Richard Rodney Bennett’ “Elegy for Miles Davis” combines serialism with jazz; the inversion of the note row turns out to be the same as the Miles Davis number “The Maid of Cadiz.” About another work on the program Reynish noted, “Autumn Walk” is by the African-American composer, Julian Work, a wonderful hushed tone-poem, strangely neglected in these days where noise rules.
The Wind Ensemble program will open with a short piece by one of Japan’s leading composers, Akira Miyoshi, reminiscent of the sound world of Stravinsky. Bennett is celebrated by his “Reflections on a 16th century Tune,” originally written for string orchestra and transcribed seamlessly by the composer. Since leaving the Royal Northern College of Music in 2001, Reynish has developed a series of commissions to commemorate the death of his third son in an accident in the Pyrenees five years ago, and three are featured in this final concert of Reynish’s residency. The premiere in this programme is Chris Marshall’s “Resonances,” an evocative collage of ideas. The other two commissions are exuberant celebrations, “L’Homme Armé” by Chris Marshall, a set of variations based on the mediaeval popular song, and “Dances from Crete” by Adam Gorb.
https://www.ithaca.edu/intercom/article.php/20060420094324135