The Huxford Symphony Orchestra played a concert in Moody Music Hall on Thursday night. The show highlighted a variety of timeless orchestral pieces that demonstrated storytelling and history.
This month the symphony, led by Ransom Wilson, the Camilla Huxford Chair of Orchestral Studies in the School of Music, performed pieces from four composers: “Marche Slave, Op.31” by Pyotr IIrich Tchaikovsky, “Wood Notes” by William Grant Still, “Covid” by University of Alabama music composition professor Colin Kemper and “Bolero” by Maurice Ravel.
The Huxford Symphony Orchestra is sponsored by Camilla Huxford, an important civic leader for education and the arts within the Tuscaloosa community. Huxford advocated for opportunities for faculty and students to engage in culture and music. She also provides donations to the department. The University has honored her legacy with the orchestra as a namesake for fine arts.
The orchestra is made up of students who are selected through an audition process, and welcomes students of all majors and backgrounds.
“Being a part of a program that honors keeping the arts alive to the University and Tuscaloosa community helps to continuously motivate me to perform and do what I love,” said Dominic Lang, a freshman majoring in mechanical engineering and violinist in the orchestra. “It’s rewarding.”
The orchestra’s performances are open to students and the broader public free of charge, providing the opportunity for the audience to enjoy classical music in a traditional way.
“I originally attended this show just out of mere curiosity from social media, and instead, I was blown away by their outstanding performance. To hear the maestro is a native and continues to give back to Tuscaloosa while building his experience in the classical industry is stellar,” said Jaden Williams, a Tuscaloosa resident.
“Wood Notes” was performed in honor of Black History Month. The piece was the first artistic collaboration between a white Alabamian and a black Mississippian. This piece presented warm melodies and rich harmonies to create a musical story, which Janiya Jones, a sophomore majoring in communication studies, said reminded her of “home.”
“I felt seen in that moment knowing that a Black composer created such a beautiful and peaceful piece. The musical note in the brochure stated that it was supposed to take us to that soft place, and it did just that,” Jones said.
As the show came to an end, the audience gave a standing ovation to the pieces, the orchestra and the conductors. Sarah Weekers, a sophomore majoring in music education and violinist in the orchestra, said it “feels good” to see the audience enjoy the performance.
“I think that people who never come to symphony concerts get to experience something they’ve never experienced before,” Weekers said. “And hopefully that’s a good experience, because it is for the entire orchestra.”
