Community invited to OC’s free symphonic and jazz Winter Band Concert March 12

Are high school students will also perform with the bands in a combined performance in Judd Theatre at 7:30 p.m. 

February 21, 2020 - The Oklahoma Christian University symphonic and jazz bands will perform at the annual Winter Band Concert March 12 at 7:30 p.m. in Judd Theater. This concert will be a collaborative event with high school band students from across Oklahoma.

Usually, colleges and universities require auditions for high school students to perform with a university band. However, OC allowed all interested all high school students the chance to perform with the OC ensemble without an audition. According to OC’s Director of the Symphonic Band, Scott Filleman, OC is among just a few universities to offer high school band students an opportunity to perform with a university ensemble. 

“More than that, we are adding another element - our own university students are sitting in the band with the high school participants to form one large, collaborative band,” he said. “I don’t know of another university doing this type of thing.” 

Filleman is working to break down the belief held by high school students that they are not “good enough” to play band in college unless they play in an audition-required honor band. 

“This is the opportunity for all high school students, whether they are interested in majoring in music or not, to experience music at the college level, to talk to OC students about campus life and for music educators to show their students that the enjoyment of great music isn’t limited to auditioned honor bands,” Filleman said. 

Last semester, the OC Fall Band Concert included 33 high school students from Chandler, Deer Creek, Edmond Memorial, Edmond North, Edmond Santa Fe, Luther, Oklahoma Christian Academy, Oklahoma School Bands, Tuttle and Wellston high schools . 

Since that first open concert, there has been high demand from high school students and directors for another open concert, and Filleman already has more than 30 students signed up from 14 high schools and homeschool organizations. 

OC’s Winter Band Concert will feature several classics of wind band literature and will highlight American composers, all of which have contributed to American themes. For example, “Carnegie Anthem” by William Owens reflects the excitement over the opening of Carnegie Hall. 

Together, OC musicians and high school students will play through “Bandology” by Eric Osterling, “Variations on a Shakery Melody” by Aaron Copland, “Rippling Watercolors” by Brian Balmages and “Carnegie Anthem” by Wiliam Owens. 

After the combined band performance, the OC symphonic band will perform “The Hounds of Spring” by Alfred Reed, three movements of “Lincolnshire’s Posy” by Percy Grainger and conclude with “Danza Final” by Ginestera. 

“A lot of the concerts that we have here on campus have guest artists or a special group; this [concert] is strictly what OC has to offer,” Filleman said. “It’s just a raw glimpse into what OC is all about.” 

In addition to the symphonic band, the concert will feature performances from OC’s Jazz Band, which is led by OC Department of Music Chair Heath Jones.