by Brian Buerkle | Aug 8, 2021 | Performance
To celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Spectrum Brass as Artists-In-Residence at the Bay View Music Festival, we were fortunate enough to be asked to perform the entire final Vespers for the 2021 Season. In our concert we showcased some of the greatest works of the brass repertoire by performing our favorite pieces from the last ten years of Vespers, recitals, and brass concerts. Our program included Anthony DiLorenzo’s Cosmos, a 2020 Spectrum Brass Commission, as well as works by Bozza, J.S. Bach, LaFosse, Ewazen, Susato, Kamen, Chesky, Piazzolla, Hamlisch, Ellington, and Elgar. We also were honored to perform Anthony Barfield’s Gravity for Brass Quintet, featuring Everette McCorvey’s reading of “Harlem” by Langston Hughes to accompany the piece. It was a special night for everyone…especially our esteemed horn player, Aaron Brant, who performed his final concert with Spectrum Brass after having joined us in 2012. We wish Aaron and his entire family the greatest of success as they embark on a new chapter in life. Looking forward to seeing everyone at Bay View in 2022.
by Brian Buerkle | Aug 4, 2021 | Performance
Spectrum Brass made its debut performance at the Leelanau Community Cultural Center’s Old Art Building in Leland, MI as a part of their MUSIC IN THE AIR series. It was a beautiful night for an outdoor performance. We treated the wonderful audience to a concert of brass standards and fun tunes. The program included Anthony DiLorenzo’s Cosmos, a 2020 Spectrum Brass Commission, as well as works by Susato, Cheetham, Calvert, Kamen, Bozza, LaFosse, Arnold, and Piazzolla, in addition to popular songs from A Chorus Line by Marvin Hamlisch, James Bond 007 Theme, and a suite of music from West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein.
by Brian Buerkle | Jul 25, 2020 | Performance
On Saturday, July 25th, 2020, Spectrum Brass premiered COSMOS by Anthony DiLorenzo. I commissioned this brand new piece for Spectrum Brass and the Bay View Music Festival to celebrate our upcoming 10th Anniversary season of the Spectrum Brass Seminar. COSMOS is an incredible new concert showpiece for brass quintet and we are thrilled to have been a part of its creation. Enjoy!!
Listen to us play!
Notes by the composer: Strap in and prepare to be thrust into the stars at the moment where it all began. Flourishes of vivacious passages hurtle us outward from an explosive start. The music depicts the creation of the universe as it expands immensely, forming space, time, matter, and energy.
The ominous passages that start the journey transition into a transcendental dance, as galaxies mold and splashes of hydrogen and helium merge to help form the rich psychedelic clouds and nebulas, filling the once dark void.
The work continues to propel the listener outward at breaking speed as life emerges and takes its place within the mass of luminescent energy known as…the COSMOS.
by Brian Buerkle | Jul 15, 2020 | Performance
In 2020, we were faced with an unprecedented worldwide pandemic that caused the music business to come to a standstill. As a part of the Bay View Music Festival, Spectrum Brass was able to create 4 brand new performance videos of music to be shared on a “Virtual” Vespers Series during the 2020 Summer Season. Each of us recorded alone in our homes in different states, and put together a final product that turned out quite well. Enjoy!!
Comedy Tonight from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
John Phillip Sousa’s Stars & Stripes Forever
Amazing Grace
Aaron Copland’s Simple Gifts from Appalachian Spring
