The Wilmington Symphonic Winds was set to present its program, RISE last fall, but had to delay due to the pandemic. For Dominic Talanca, Conductor of the Wilmington Symphonic Winds, the delay gives new meaning to the program’s theme.
Talanca said Saturday’s concert features a program full of music that he hopes will give the audience a renewed sense of hope and optimism, “We are featuring a local singer, named Alexis Raeana. And I just thought of her singing this song that she’s going to be singing with us called ‘Rise Up’. And once I heard it on the radio, and it kind of just was one of those moments that clicked. And I thought it would be awesome if she knew this song and she did.”
And Talanca did fit it into a theme. The music on Saturday’s program is all about rising up and leaning into a new day. Talanca said other works on the program include, The Rocketeer, by James Horner, arranged by Robert Longfield, Rise by Adam Schoenberg and Hellcat Concerto by Symphonic Wind’s trumpet player Paul Murtha.
"The Hellcats are part of the West Point organization. And one of the things they do is wake people up in the morning with their bugle calls. Paul Murtha composed this piece completely based around these bugle calls. And he set it to a whole bunch of really fun and interesting styles and genres,” said Talanca.
Murtha will conduct this piece which features Stephen Luck on trumpet. RISE takes place this Saturday at 4:30 in Kenan Auditorium on the UNCW campus. Admission is free.
