New work offers music from Civil War to civil rights - Oct. 22

Thursday, October 17, 2013

photo Six virtuoso musicians from the Rodney Mack Philadelphia Big Brass ensemble, plus a narrator and pianist, will present the world premiere of "Brothers on the Battlefield" on Tuesday at Southern Adventist University in Collegedale.

IF YOU GO:* What: "Brothers on the Battlefield"world premiere by The RodneyMack Philadelphia Big Brass* When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct.22; doors open at 7 p.m.* Where: IIes P.E. Center

Musicians from a highly acclaimed brass ensemble will present the world premiere of a work spanning music from the Civil War to the civil-rights movement Tuesday, Oct. 22, at Southern Adventist College.

Six virtuoso musicians from The Rodney Mack Philadelphia Big Brass, plus a narrator and pianist, will perform in the theatrically staged production marking the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.

The performers travel with their own projector and screen onto which multimedia images are projected as the music that influenced America during the time period plays. The concert is tied together through narration, which includes dramatic readings from Civil War letters and inspirational readings by Martin Luther King Jr.

Musical selections include the gospel/jazz standard "When the Saints Go Marching In," Leonard Bernstein's beloved "West Side Story," memorable Glen Miller tunes such as "String of Pearls" and "In the Mood," and toe-tapping marches by John Philip Sousa, such as "Stars and Stripes Forever." Also sampled are more modern influences, such as Elvis, Michael Jackson and Earth Wind & Fire.