Pitt-Johnstown music department to present 'very diverse' fall concert
Dec. 7—JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — An area university is preparing to showcase a trio of musical performances.
The University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown music department will present its annual fall concert at 7 p.m. Sunday at the Pasquerilla Performing Arts Center on the campus in Richland Township.
The concert will feature the university jazz ensemble, concert choir and concert band comprised of students from all academic disciplines.
"It makes it easier for us to have one concert date, especially because we have students who are in multiple ensembles," said Jeffrey L. Webb, UPJ's associate professor of music and director of choral activities.
"It also makes our audience pool bigger rather than trying to space everybody out."
He said a lot of time and effort go into crafting the performances.
"As instructors, we have to find repertoire that our groups will succeed at while also creating a balanced program," Webb said.
"I try to create a balanced program between secular and sacred music with a variety of tempos."
The jazz ensemble, led by adjunct instructor Dan Hutton, will perform familiar tunes such as "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" by Stevie Wonder and "My Funny Valentine" by Lorenz Hart and Richard Rodgers.
The concert choir, under the direction of Webb, will entertain with holiday pieces such as "Carol of the Bells" by Peter J. Wilhousky and a piece by Eric Whitacre titled "The Seal Lullaby."
The concert band, led by adjunct instructor Mitch Custer, will close out the performance with musical selections from "The Nutcracker" by Peter Tchaikovsky.
"There are several pieces in the program that people will know," Webb said.
"It's a very diverse program. We want as many people as possible to come and enjoy the concerts, so I program a little bit of everything in hopes that there will be something for whoever shows up."
The hope is attendees will experience the joy of the collaborative effort between the students, faculty and audience.
"It's the experience of sharing the music," Webb said.
"There's talent around here, and we want people to embrace that and enjoy that, seek it and celebrate it. None of these students are music majors because we don't have a music major at UPJ, but music is something that's universal. You don't have to be a music connoisseur to enjoy the music."
There is no fee to attend.
