The Heidelberg University Symphonic Band and the Chamber Winds, under the direction of John E. Owen, are to perform a fall concert at 7 p.m. Saturday in Brenneman Concert Hall on the Heidelberg campus.
The Symphonic Band is to open the program with "Nabucco Overture" from Verdi's 1842 opera based on the Biblical story of Nebuchadnezzar. It follows the plight of the Jews when they are exiled from their homeland.
The repertoire next moves to "Elegy for Albinoni," a memorial piece that honors the prolific but rarely performed Baroque-era composer Tomaso Albinoni (1671-1751). "Elegy" was originally commissioned for string orchestra in 2008 and commissioned for winds in 2010.
The Chamber Winds - a subset of the Symphonic Band - is to perform two pieces that borrow from Heidelberg's upcoming Christmas production. Leroy Anderson's "Sleigh Ride" and "Carillons at Christmastide," based on the carol "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day," were originally set for orchestra.
Following intermission, the Symphonic Band is to return to perform an orchestral piece, "La Procesion del Rocio," which premiered in 1913 as one of the most popular works by Spanish composer Juaquin Turina.
The program is to conclude with "Polka" from Czech composer Bedrich Smetana's opera, "The Bartered Bride." The composition tells the story of how true love prevails over the efforts of ambitious parents and a scheming marriage broker.
Admission to the concert is free.
