By Steve Gilliam, University Relations
Beatles music. Patriotic tunes. Jazz.
The U.S. Air Force Heritage Brass Quintet will perform that and more Thursday, Nov. 17, at UNCG. The concert, which is free and open to the public, will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Organ Hall of the School of Music.
“We’re excited about coming to UNCG,” said Senior Airman Andrew T. Rummel, the group’s tuba player. “They have an absolutely gorgeous facility. The Organ Hall is a nice, intimate setting, and I think the group will sound good in there.”
The brass quintet is part of the U.S. Air Force Heritage of America Band, a 60-member ensemble that has been in existence for more than 50 years and is based at Langley Air Force Base in Hampton, Va. Formed in 1973, the quintet performs a blend of music spanning more than three centuries. Its repertoire draws from classical selections such as Bach and Handel, from jazz artists including Duke Ellington and Antonio Carlos Jobim as well as popular music and patriotic tunes.
The group’s members have degrees from music schools all over the United States and have performed with orchestras including the National Repertory Orchestra, the Woodlands Symphony Orchestra, the Lima Symphony, the Bowling Green Philharmonia, the Orchestra of the Finger Lakes, the Kansas City Symphony and the Williamsport Symphony Orchestra.
The UNCG performance is part of a short North Carolina tour. UNCG was placed on the tour after Rummel contacted Dr. Dennis Askew, associate professor of tuba/euphonium and music education. Askew said he’s hoping the Organ Hall, which holds about 125 people, will be filled for the event.
“This brass quintet coming to UNCG will provide our students with another opportunity to experience professionals in music in our armed forces,” Askew said. “Very often, people think these are just soldiers who play instruments as opposed to professional musicians. These are highly sought-after jobs, just like it would be to try out for a symphony.”
