Boston Brass shares stage, harmony with Hendricks Chapel’s student choir
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The sounds of the trumpet, horn, trombone and tuba filled Syracuse University’s Hendricks Chapel as Boston Brass performed pieces ranging from classical arrangements to jazz. Later, the five musicians were joined by the Hendricks Chapel Choir, filling the chamber with harmonious sounds.
“The Boston Brass has a long history of collaborating with Syracuse University. They are spectacular performers,” Anne Laver, an SU organist and artistic director of the Malmgren Concert Series, said.
Boston Brass is a brass quintet that has performed classical arrangements and jazz standards since its inception in 1986. The quintet consists of José Sibaja and Jeff Conner on trumpet, Chris Castellanos on horn, Domingo Pagliuca on trombone and William Russell on tuba.
On Thursday, the quintet trekked to Syracuse for the first Malmgren Concert Series concert of the year. The brass group, which also leads music education workshops around the world, performed with the Hendricks Chapel Choir. The group also gave a clinic for music students earlier that afternoon. Music education is central to its group’s work, leading workshops and clinics wherever it performs.
Boston Brass is no stranger to SU. In previous years, it has performed a halftime show with the SU Marching Band, collaborated with the SU Wind Ensemble in 2003 on a Christmas album, and recorded with former University Organist Christopher Marks, Laver said. The group last appeared in the concert series in 2018.
“They are an audience favorite, so I invited them back,” Laver said. “They also love doing events with students.”
Boston Brass opened the concert with Dimitri Shostakovich’s “Galop,” arranged by composer J.D. Shaw. The quintet then performed Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme” and Astor Piazzolla’s “Verano Porteno,” both arranged by the group’s own trumpeter Sibaja.
Then Boston Brass was joined by the Hendricks Chapel Choir for Eric Nelson’s “Rise to Sing! The Light is Breaking,” accompanied by its organ scholar Aaron RaPray. The choir’s artistic director, José “Peppie” Calvar, said the collaboration with Boston Brass was especially meaningful for choir members studying music education.
“It’s nice to sort of have a full circle of people who are influencing one another to make society better, to make our community better, and to do it all through music,” Calvar said.
Many students in the choir were inspired to pursue music by their own middle and high school teachers, Calvar said. With music educators making up a large portion of Thursday’s audience, the joint performance was a chance for students like SU sophomore Mia Montenegro and educators to share their experiences and music passions with one another.
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Hendricks Chapel’s Malmgren Concert Series hosted its Fall Choral Concert on Sunday afternoon.
The chapel’s choir rehearsed with Boston Brass just once, 45 minutes before the concert, Calvar said. After the joint rehearsal, the Boston Brass members heard the students practicing “America the Beautiful” for “We Hold These Truths,” a Nov. 15 concert in the Malmgran Concert Series, and suggested adding it to the evening’s program.
It was rewarding to see the choir inspire the same musicians that they look to for inspiration, Calvar said.
“Even in the process of rehearsing, it’s awesome to see how our chorus was able to have influence over the group that they take influence from,” Calvar said.
For Montenegro, a member of the Hendricks Chapel Choir and choral ensemble Oratorio Society, performing with Boston Brass reflected the students’ preparation and passion. After singing in Concert Choir last semester, she said joining Hendricks’ choir felt like a step into a more professional ensemble.
“We really sounded great, and it’s because of all the practice we did the following semester and now,” Montenegro said. “It’s such an effective experience for me and all the friends I’ve made doing it.”
Hearing the brass instruments alongside the choir and organ was “extraordinary,” Montenegro said. The experience left her excited for upcoming performances with the choir, and made her reflect on what got her to where she is as a member of the Hendricks Chapel Choir.
The collaborative performance reflected both the efforts of Boston Brass and those of local music teachers in educating students of all ages on music. Bringing together all types of educators, from professionals to locals, was important for students and the overall experience of the event, Calvar said.
“This experience, especially being in Hendricks, was a perfect part of this concert series,” Calvar said. “We can showcase the students, while also highlighting the individual qualities in the teachers and performers that have helped them get here.”
