Tallahassee Winds, a 75-member symphonic band that performs under the auspices of FSU College of Music, will perform its second concert of the season in FSU’s Opperman Music Hall at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 25. Admission is free.
Tallahassee Winds will perform at Opperman Music Hall at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025.
For the occasion, Drs. Patrick Dunnigan (FSU Professor of Music Education and Director of Bands) and Devan Moore (FSU Assistant Director of Athletic Bands) have constructed a program that includes an exotic ceremonial march, two examples of distinctive regional traditions, a musical celebration, a profound observation about the nature of the universe, and a moving, ultimately uplifting tribute to the memory of a remarkable, and tragically young, individual.
“Entrance of the Boyars” reflects Norwegian composer Johan Halvorsen’s interest in the history of Romania. The Boyars were a class of wealthy nobles — principally landowners and influential ministers —during several centuries of feudal society in Eastern Europe. They were known for their distinctive attire, which included long, richly embroidered greatcoats and improbably tall hats.
The opening moments of the march quickly evoke the feeling of a distant time and place. While listening, one can visualize the Boyars arriving at a city function as a body, their procession made conspicuous by their raiment and retinue. It would be natural to expect “Entrance of the Boyars” to be part of a larger work, perhaps with scenes and story: however, it is a standalone composition, and as such is satisfying as pure pageantry.
The title of Frank Perkins’ “Fandango” is also the name of a traditional Spanish dance. An infectious Latin rhythm, lively percussion, and trumpet flourishes accentuate the music’s characteristic bravado and energy. The conclusion is marked “Presto,” which translates to something close to “I will race you to the end.”
Like “Fandango,” Robert Sheldon’s “Celts of County Clare” clearly counts as a classic cultural cadence. The piece opens with a sweet melody, nostalgic in nature, suggesting a fond memory is unfolding.
In a bit of foreshadowing, low, sustained chords during the opening hint at a drone effect that locates the origins of the approaching style as well as any GPS. Sheldon’s music quickly transitions to a “spirited jig,” two words that convey as much about the body of the piece as any lengthy paragraph.
Musical performances were among the many casualties of the COVID-19 pandemic. Katahj Copley composed “In Living Color” to celebrate the return of normalcy in general and live performances in particular. Copley writes that the piece is “an ode for live music’ — a “kaleidoscope of colors and energy” that incorporates influences ranging from modern jazz artists to George Gershwin. On Tuesday, the celebration continues!
According to her notes, the genesis of composer Nicole Piunno’s “Beauty Broken” was a trip to a museum, where she was intrigued by a high-speed photograph of a flower arrangement taken at the moment it was being exploded. She saw in the photograph an illustration of the “tension that exists between beauty and violence, or life and death.” Her composition explores that tension. Ultimately, she accepts the “paradox of these two realities” while maintaining a “sense of hope.”
An Iowa high school wind ensemble commissioned Carol Brittin Chambers to compose music dedicated to the memory of Emma Nugent, a student and flute player whose adventurous spirit and kind, caring personality impacted everyone around her.
The beginning sections of “Bright Light in the World,”, which consist of textures that involve all sections of the ensemble, give way to a grand, powerful, familiar, and fitting tribute. (I will not spoil the “reveal” here, but I promise you will be enlightened.)
Dr. Bentley Shellahamer, then Assistant Dean of FSU College of Music, organized Tallahassee Winds in 1997 to provide adult musicians an opportunity to continue or renew their passion for performing advanced level music in a large group setting. When he retired in 2012, Drs. Dunnigan and David Plack, recently joined by Moore, accepted the challenge and now continue his mission.
If you go
What: Tallahassee Winds
When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 25
Where: FSU’s Opperman Music Hall
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: ‘Fandango’ into Thanksgiving with Tallahassee Winds concert