By Mitch Holt, Staff Writer
February 9-12 marks the date of this year’s Texas Music Educators Association music festival in San Antonio, in which ACU’s Wind Ensemble and A Cappella Chorus were chosen to perform.
The Wind Ensemble will perform in the Lila Cockerell Theatre in the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center at 12:30 p.m. on Feb. 10 among other wind ensembles from Baylor University and the University of North Texas.
“This event is the largest musical convention in the world,” said Dr. Eric Wilson, professor of music and director of ACU’s wind ensemble. “This is ACU’s sixth appearance at the annual convention since 1974.”
Last year, the ACU Wind Ensemble received the highest state honor offered by TMEA, an organization of nearly 9,000 school music educators, earning them a performance spot at this year’s TMEA convention, Wilson said.
Students auditioned for the ensemble in November, and the group began rehearsing immediately after football season. Members of the ensemble returned to Abilene five days before spring classes began to continue preparations, and they rehearse every day of the school week.
One of the highlights of the ensemble’s repertoire is Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Wind Ensemble, in which Donald Sinta, professor of saxophone at the University of Michigan, will perform with the ensemble, said Chris Pillsbury, sophomore music major and ensemble pianist from Amarillo.
ACU’s A Cappella Chorus will participate with the Hardin-Simmons University Concert Choir and the McMurry University Chanters in a performance with the Abilene Collegiate Orchestra Feb. 10 at 8 p.m.
“The choral concert is billed as an evening of opera choruses,” said Dr. Mike Scarbrough, director of the A Cappella Chorus. “Of course, because it’s opera, the music is very dramatic and moves from the romantic to victorious fervor.”
TMEA will feature several Texas universities, and the all-state choirs, bands and orchestras will conclude the convention with a performance.
“The main focus of our performance is to glorify God with our talents and skills and demonstrate our unique sense of community that we foster here at ACU,” Wilson said.
