USD Fine Arts Hosts Halloween Ensemble
On Oct. 29 at 7:00 pm, the USD College of Fine Arts presented “Oktubafest in the Boneyard.” A one night only recital featuring the USD Low Brass Studio and alumni located in The Colton Recital Hall.
In previous years, the Halloween special performance was filled with costumes, witty humor, spooky yet melodic music and a crowd and musician costume contest following the show.
Low brass professor Todd Cranson explained the process of planning this event, as well as why he was glad to do so.
“We have a weekly studio class that is three days a month where we’d rehearse the ensemble for the performance,” Cranson said. “The costume contest is something that we do every year which I enjoy as well as bringing our alumni back, so Nathan Van Den Oever was our alumni member this year.”
The recital started off with a horn and tuba duet of the song “Unruly Energies” performed by music professor Amy Laursen and Cranson.
Which was followed by an original trombone piece performance called “Witchin,” that was written and executed by Van Den Oever.
This was then followed by a multi-person performance that was performed by students Colton Schaefer and Noah Disbrow (trumpet), Sammy Rinell (horn), Camden McKenney (trombone) and Justin Lincoln (tuba), of the songs “The Great Rain” and “Pennsylvania Polka.”
Succeeding these songs was a series of music and comedy stunts of “Songs of the Klingon” that were performed by all members of the USD low brass ensemble, which included the songs, “Warrior Song of the Empire,” “The National Klingon Hymn” and “In the Hall of the Mountain King.”
Low brass trombone tenor Gwen Beals reflected on the night’s event by explaining her favorite part about the recital overall.
“I really liked that everyone dressed up and had a good time, we all got to celebrate Halloween together which was a fun thing I know for me and I think for everyone else too,” Beals said.
Finally the recital finished off the night with a costume contest which included both members of the low brass ensemble and audience members.
The contest concluded with three places of winners, the third place winner prize being a bag of candy, the second place winner prize being a $25 gift card to Cafe Brûlée and Dakota Brick House and the first place winner prize was $50 gift cards to Cafe Brûlée and Dakota Brick House.
Low brass trombone tenor Owen Wieseler revealed that his most memorable moment from the night was seeing the audience dressed up.
“Most definitely the costume contest, it’s something that’s built to stick out at these things, also I didn’t participate because I didn’t have a costume so I was glad to see others did,” Wieseler said.
