Wind symphony concert entertains

The Chadron State Wind Symphony performed its first concert of the year in front of an audience of almost 100. The crowd consisted of people from young to old.

The concert got off to a late start; Director Sidney Shuler attributed it to leaving time for those who are used to the previous start time of 7:30 p.m.

The concert began with a quick warm-up that led directly into the first song, which was a cheery march. Shuler was an animated conductor throughout this song and the others as well.

Following the first song Shuler took a minute to introduce the next song as well as a guest performer, “Mom of two and musician on call,” his wife.

“We came up with the title ‘Across the Pond’ because most of the composers were English,” Shuler said of the concert.

The rest of the songs also had a cheery or gallant feel to them except the fourth one titled “Nimrod.” Shuler explained this piece as a one of many from “Enigma Variations” by composer Edward Elgar.

“I found it to be a much better piece of music than the definition of someone’s intelligence,” Shuler said of the name of the piece.

Duane Bierman was a guest conductor from the University of Kearney. He emailed Shuler last year, and they stayed in contact until the timing lined up. Shuler will go to Kearney to be a guest conductor for them later this year.

“It is really beautiful,” Bierman said. He enjoyed his time in Chadron, and his stay in the Chadron State Park.

The students have been working on the pieces for this concert since school began in August and put in many hours a week on their own to ensure the concert’s success.

“We don’t practice during the day of at all,” junior tubist of Scotsbluff, Chadwick Nagasawa, said when asked about his pre-concert regime. “We all have classes so we just nitpick everything and come in in time for the concert.”

The next wind symphony concert is Dec. 3 and they will be accompanied by the Community Band as well.