Santa Fe Winds will perform “Spring Winds and Classics” on April 4, 2024, in the Lyceum

GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA (March 21, 2024) – The Santa Fe Winds will include traditional classics along with new musical selections in the annual “Spring Winds and Classics” concert at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 4, 2024, in the Lyceum at the Northwest Campus of Santa Fe College, 3000 NW 83 Street, Gainesville. The Lyceum is the renovated auditorium in Building E on the west side of campus.

The concert is free, but tickets are required because of limited seating. For tickets, call the Santa Fe College (SF) Box Office at 352-395-4181 or visit Showpass online at: showpass.com/spring-winds-and-classics.

“I invite people to come out for a joyful experience in the Lyceum, the home of the Santa Fe Winds,” said SF Associate Professor of Music and Band Director David L. Smith, who will direct the 11 musicians. “You’ll hear some of the greatest pieces from the classical wind repertoire that feature students performing challenging selections in different styles.”

New selections on the program this year include “Fanfare and Flourishes,” written in 1991 by American tuba player James Curnow; “Nimrod” from “Enigma Variations” by English composer Edward Elgar, written between 1898-1899; and “March of the Belgian Paratroopers,” written during World War II by Belgian composer Pierre Leemans.

The opening fanfare in Curnow’s “Fanfare and Flourishes” gives way to Renaissance-inspired melodies that feature multiple sections of the Santa Fe Winds in turn.

The title of “Nimrod” in Elgar’s “Enigma Variations” refers to the composer’s publisher, Augustus Jaeger, because “Jäger” in German means “hunter” and Nimrod was the name of a great hunter in the Bible. “Nimrod” was played at the funerals of Princess Diana and His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

Leemans wrote “March of the Belgian Paratroopers” in one night, basing the musical themes on one of his earlier compositions.

“For our students, there is nothing like the experience of performing in front of a live audience,” Smith explained. “The reward for the audience is that you can take something with you when you leave, because music has the power to do what words cannot—change your mood, relieve stress and inspire you!”

“Spring Winds and Classics” is organized and sponsored by the Santa Fe College Fine Arts and Entertainment Technology Department.

For more information about the concert or SF’s band programs, call David Smith at 352-395-5313. For more information about tickets, call the SF Box Office at 352-395-4181.

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