By Devonne Tourre, Assistant Digital Media Editor
The University Percussion Ensemble, conducted by Faculty in Music Gregory H. Alico, performed on Nov. 27 in Stretansky Concert Hall.
The repertoire performed at the concert included “The Line Around Us” by Jeffrey Barudin, “Edge of the World” by Nathan Daughtrey, “Daydreams” by Michael Iorio, “LARGO from the New World Symphony” by Antonin Dvorak, “First Suite for Marimba Quartet” by Michael Boo, “Aquarium” from “Carnival of the Animals” by Phillip Long and “Batterie Diabolique” by Jon Metzger.
Alico’s favorite piece to conduct was “LARGO from the New World Symphony.” Senior Gus Black and juniors Milo Brooking and Hayden Stacki specifically enjoyed performing “Batterie Diabolique.”
Black elaborated on what set “Batterie Diabolique” apart from the other pieces to him.
“It used both mallet and batterie percussion,” Black said.
The performance mainly featured instruments such as marimbas, xylophones, drum sets, chimes, cymbals and bongos.
While there were multiple instruments on stage, each performer played a different instrument for each song.
Some played alongside each other on one instrument during songs like “Daydreams” and “First Suite for Marimba Quartet.”
Black emphasized the variety in music during the performance.
“We played a lot of different pieces, ranging from strictly batterie percussion to pieces that used only mallet instruments,” Black said.
“My favorite thing about playing [in] the Percussion Ensemble is playing pieces that change the way people think about percussion,” Black continued. “Every piece has a distinct melody, even if there are no tone instruments being used.”
Susquehanna students who performed included Black, juniors Brooking, Stacki and Will Meriney, sophomores Amber Britz and Katie Ericson and first-year Alexandra Hockenberry.
“We’ve been doing this [event] for years,” Alico said. “We enjoy this different kind of ensemble that a lot of people have either never heard before or only have heard certain instruments, but not all of them together.”
The next performance from the music department will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 30 with a Jazz Ensemble Concert directed by Associate Professor of Music Joshua Davis.
