Percussion Concert - Fort Worth Symphony

Fort Worth Symphony Concert

The Travelling Toe, wanting to increase one's understanding and appreciation of classical music, attended a recent concert presented by the Fort Worth Symphony at Bass Hall.  On the program were 3 different works.  The first selection, "Fanfare for the Common Man", was written by Arron Copeland.  Even thought it is just 4 minutes in length, it packs a punch with outstanding playing by the percussion section, the horns, trumpets, trombones and timpani  The fanfare never fails to tingle The Travelling To.  The second musical piece presented, was the "Percussion Concerto" composed by Jennifer Higdon for Colin Currie, who performed the piece for the audience.  Before the concerto was played, Mr Currie discussed the piece of work.  His musical instruments stretched across the front of the stage, consisting of 4 stations.  The first was various type of drums, the second was wooden and metal instruments, including a brake drum, the 3rd was a marimba and the 4th a vibraphone.  Mr Currie played each station of instruments moving from one to another and then back again.  He had to know where to go, when to go and what to play.   Mr Currie was a very engaging performer throught out the entire concerto.  After catching our breath and taking a pause, the program closed with Sergei Rachmanonoff's "Symphony No 2 in E Minor".  The symphony is "told" in four parts. Rachmaninoff is know for the lush sounds of his concerto's.  This selection was amazing due to the excellent work of the musicians of the symphony..  There appeared to have been at least 50 string players on stage.  All in all, a wonderful and exciting concert.

****Disclaimer - The Travelling Toe is not a musical scholar, a musical critic or even a musician and the overview of the performance is a personal opinion. 


Fort Worth Symphony

Bass Hall