PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE AT UH UPBEAT ABOUT
DEBUT RECORDING, ‘SURGE’
New Compact Disc on Albany Records Features Contemporary Compositions
for Percussion
HOUSTON, February 22, 2006 – No drum roll necessary. The
wait is over for the debut recording from the University of Houston’s
Percussion Ensemble.
Released on Albany Records, the compact disc “Surge”
features UH’s very own internationally recognized percussion
group under the direction of Blake Wilkins, Moores School of Music
(MSM) percussion studies director. On the disc, the ensemble performs
a selection of contemporary compositions, as well as an update of
the Ralph Vaughan Williams’ classic, “Fantasia on a
Theme by Thomas Tallis.”
“This release brilliantly displays the talent that is being
generated within MSM’s percussion studies program,”
Wilkins said.
Recorded at the Moores Opera House, “Surge” premieres
two compositions from MSM’s Percussion Ensemble Commissioning
Project, which promotes new works for the medium. Composed by Rob
Smith, UH professor of composition, the title track is an exotic,
jazz-influenced number emphasized by the xylophone, marimba and
vibraphone. The other track commissioned by this project is the
eclectic four-movement “Houston Strokes” by Donald Grantham,
professor of composition at the University of Texas at Austin.
“Commissioning and premiering new works is one of the most
rewarding experiences, both for myself and for my students,”
Wilkins said. “It’s an amazing experience to take a
new composition that, prior to the first downbeat of the first rehearsal,
has existed only on paper and in the imagination of the composer,
and then bring it to life in sound for the first time. For me, it’s
a tremendous rush.”
“Surge” also includes Wilkins’ “Melos,”
an extended, atmospheric odyssey that experiments with bells and
haunting melodies. “At the Dawn of War,” composed by
UH alumnus and Houston percussionist Kevin Erickson, offers a sonic
interpretation of 9/11 and its aftermath. Western Washington University
Professor Bruce Hamilton’s “Raptures of Undream”
is a pulsating, drum-heavy piece. And Wilkins’ updated arrangement
of Vaughan Williams’ “Fantasia” features the versatile
ensemble filling in marimbas and other keyboard-based instrumentations
for the composition’s usual string section.
“This is a unique collection of percussion works,”
Wilkins said. “Each composition has its own distinct personality,
but the tracks all complement each other and their transitions are
almost seamless.”
Wilkins arrived at UH in 1997 with the goal of creating a world-class
percussion ensemble, and in 2003, his group took top honors in the
prestigious Percussive Arts Society Percussion International Ensemble
Competition. This award led to a performance at that year’s
Percussive Arts Society International Convention in Louisville,
Ky., which helped propel the group’s reputation globally.
“Winning this competition and performing before some of the
foremost percussionists of the world was indication that this ensemble
had truly arrived,” Wilkins said. “Because the music
we performed for the competition had been rehearsed to the peak
of perfection for our convention showcase, and because the compositions
themselves are so extraordinary, producing a subsequent compact
disc was a natural outgrowth of winning the competition.”
Since arriving at UH, Wilkins expanded the number of percussion
students from eight to 25 undergraduate and graduate percussionists.
Students in the percussion studies program can receive the following
degrees: Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Arts, Master of Music and
Doctor of Musical Arts.
“There was a time when the concentration was more oriented
towards orchestral percussion, then it shifted its focus towards
drums and ethnic percussion,” he said. “What we’re
doing now is somewhat more comprehensive, diversifying the scope
of percussion studies.”
One of the program’s most popular ensembles is the steel
drum band, the PANtagonists, which is not featured on “Surge.”
The group brings its light hearted and energetic performances to
festivals and events around the city.
The cover art on “Surge” was painted by UH School of
Art students Julie De Vries and Adam Malek. The compact disc can
be ordered from Albany Records Web site at www.albanyrecords.com.
The UH Percussion Ensemble’s next performance is April 10
in the Moores Opera House. For more details on the ensemble or percussion
studies, visit www.uh.edu/percussion/.
About the University of Houston
The University of Houston, Texas’ premier metropolitan research
and teaching institution, is home to more than 40 research centers
and institutes and sponsors more than 300 partnerships with corporate,
civic and governmental entities. UH, the most diverse research university
in the country, stands at the forefront of education, research and
service with more than 35,000 students.
For more information about UH visit
the universitys Newsroom at www.uh.edu/admin/media/newsroom.
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