COOKEVILLE, Tenn. (Feb. 4, 2004) — A Pops Night for Trombones studio concert titled “Showing Off: The Arthur Pryor Legacy” is set for 8 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 9, in the Wattenbarger Auditorium of Tennessee Tech University’s Bryan Fine Arts Building.

The show will feature TTU music majors performing classic solos for the trombone in the tradition of Arthur Pryor, former trombone soloist for the John Philip Sousa band. Pianist Paul Thurmond will accompany.

“Trombonists such as Pryor were famous for both their wonderful tone and their amazing technical virtuosity, and we want this concert to display both of those aspects of the instrument,” said Joshua Hauser, TTU’s trombone professor.

Among the show’s featured performers are junior Jeremy Brown presenting Pryor’s signature The Blue Bells of Scotland and Leonard Bernstein’s Elegy for Mippy II, senior Jennifer Griggs performing Vittorio Monti’s Csardas, senior John Grodrian performing Pryor’s La Petite Suzanne and senior Stephen Wight presenting Herbert L. Clarke’s The Bride of the Waves.

Other performers will include sophomore Ryan Hoffman presenting Clay Smith’s Fancy Free, freshman Robert Thatch performing Pryor’s Starlight Waltz and sophomore Craig Watson presenting Stephen Frank’s Variations on Barnacle Bill the Sailor.

“Since the trombone is a relatively young solo instrument when compared to the violin or piano, we have the responsibility as performers to showcase the instrument through this wonderful early 20th century repertoire,” Hauser said.

“We feel that part of our musical mission is to provide a unique program that the audience will not hear anywhere else,” he concluded.

The show is free and open to the public.

--Tracey LeFevre
This information posted 5 February 2004