PLU Wind Ensemble tours eastern Washington and Portland, Oregon

The Pacific Lutheran University Wind Ensemble is traveling across the mountains to eastern Washington to perform in various venues this March. The 50-student ensemble will perform in Yakima, Spokane, Richland, Pasco and Portland, Oregon, and will finish with a homecoming concert in Lagerquist Concert Hall on March 15, at 8pm.

The ensemble will perform works from Clifton Williams, Franz Biebl, Leonard Bernstein, Frank Ticheli, and Percy Grainger.

“The program was picked for a variety of audiences,” explains Ron Gerhardstein who is Associate Director of Bands at PLU.  “Most important are the high school students at our different stops along the route. I chose music that would appeal to them, including selections they might have played before (Clifton Williams – Caccia and Chorale, Frank Ticheli’s Amazing Grace, and Percy Grainger’s Shepherd’s Hey) and some that are out of reach for most high school groups (Frank Ticheli’s Blue Shades and the Overture to Candide by Leonard Bernstein).”

At Central Lutheran Church in Portland, Oregon, a small brass and percussion group from PLU will accompany the church choir. After the service, students will play a program including the arrangement of Amazing Grace and a band transcription of Franz Biebl’s Ave Maria, picked especially for the church audience.

Students will perform with many other ensembles along the way. At Fox Theater in Spokane, the ensemble will perform with three Spokane area high school bands. At the first stop in Yakima, Gerhardstein will return to West Valley High School where he taught for nine years before coming to PLU in 2014.

“Returning is a little surreal for me, but I am so proud of our PLU students and I can’t wait to show off the PLU Wind Ensemble on our tour,” he says. “I know that our audiences are going to love the music that we have prepared for them.”

With the exception of the homecoming concert, performances are free and open to the public with a suggested donation of $5.  Tickets to the homecoming concert can be purchased at the door, at Campus Concierge (253-535-7411), and online.