From Darth to Dvorak: A Sewanee Orchestral Review

On Tuesday, April 20th, the University Orchestra performed their Spring Concert under the careful direction of Steven Shrader to an auditorium packed with students, faculty, and family. The night began with Edvard Grieg's "Concerto in A Minor, Op. 16: Allegro molto moderato," featuring a piano solo by senior music major, Max Smith.  The orchestra played this concerto with gusto: Smith's frenzied hands moved through the quick phrases easily and with an exquisite grace that perfectly complemented the rich sounds of the strings, woodwinds, and brass.

             The following piece was Antonín Dvorák's "Concerto in B Minor: Allegro," and showcased senior chemistry major and cellist, Michael Corliss. The Dvorák concerto seemed to present more difficulty for all the musicians, but they handled the challenge well. Corliss sat on a raised platform in front of the other instruments, rocking his cello between his knees and flourishing his bow as he played his solo sections. A few of the fast runs eluded him to his apparent disappointment, but the resonant and well-crafted mid-tempo phrases provided a superb recovery.     

            During the interval, a tuxedo-clad Shrader thanked the large audience for their attendance and dedicated the evening's performance to Joel Cunningham, in gratitude for his service as Sewanee's 15th Vice Chancellor and as cellist in the orchestra. At the end of his speech, Shrader accepted a glowing green baton resembling a lightsaber from one of his musicians, the lights dimmed, and he began John Williams's "Star Wars Suite."

            The highly anticipated John Williams tribute immediately sent a buzz through the audience—many smiled at the first chord, whispered to one another, jumped slightly in their seat, conducted in the air with their fingers. The brass and percussion instruments thundered over the strings and woodwinds in "Main Title," "The Imperial March (Darth Vader's Theme)," "Throne Room and End Title," contrasting with "Princess Leia's Theme" and "Yoda's Theme," which incorporated a greater range of dynamics, romantic phrasing, and featured small solos by community member and flautist, Alyssa Sumpter, and the University's adjunct horn instructor, Kristen Bowers.

            Steven Shrader founded the University Orchestra in 1988 and has acted as the conductor since the orchestra's conception. The University Orchestra is not exclusively comprised of Sewanee students, making the ensemble a unique organization. As Shrader put it: "I like the fact that the University Orchestra included the Vice Chancellor, the Dean of the College, and students from St. Andrews and Franklin County High School as well as college students.  Faculty from the French Department and the School of Theology were involved as well.  So, a true community undertaking."

            The conclusion of the concert was met with a standing ovation from the majority of the crowd, which left Guerry Auditorium feeling energized. Overall, the concert was a joy to listen to and a wonderful way to begin the week.

            In response to an inquiry about how he felt about the concert, Shrader said, "I was very pleased, and I sent [in a message to the orchestra] a quote from Charles Burney that they [the orchestra] were an ‘army of generals.' Burney so described the orchestra of Mannheim, the best in the 18th century."