During this year’s Homecoming Weekend, the football halftime show will feature more than the provocative cheers of the “Queerleaders”. In addition, a modern interpretation of marching bands will take over the field Saturday afternoon.
Professor of music Neely Bruce has promised that this year’s halftime show will feature more pomp and circumstance than in years past.
“I was approached by the Alumni Office—they were looking for something big and splashy for the Homecoming,” Bruce said. “[They] wanted something exciting, something to celebrate the success of the Wesleyan Campaign.”
He proposed an abridged version of his acclaimed piece “CONVERGENCE.”
“CONVERGENCE: Some Parades for Charlie’s Dad” was first commissioned by the International Festival of Arts and Ideas for their celebration of the millennium. It debuted on the New Haven Green in June of 2000 before an audience of 7,000.
Bruce envisioned his work as a salute to George Ives, an eccentric bandleader who once marched two different bands, playing different music, through each other. Bruce was intrigued with the idea of bands meeting—converging—all at once.
“The idea is that the two parades do not pass each other, they go through each other,” Bruce said.
The piece is comprised of pieces from two major historical collections of American music. The first, “The Continental Harmony” by William Billings, was initially published in 1794. It was the final and most definitive work by Billings, who is considered America’s first major composer. The second source, “Slave Songs of the United States,” was first published in 1867. It incorporates many of the songs sung by newly-freed blacks at the close of the Civil War.
“This piece uses specific pieces from the eighteenth century and the oral tradition of the nineteenth century, in a manner inspired by composers of the twentieth century, and has been written down in the twenty-first century,” Bruce said. “In a real way ‘CONVERGENCE’ is an attempt to summarize at least one point of view about the history of American music.”
In August 2002, it was programmed by Lincoln Center as part of their celebrated Out-of-Doors summer series. Nearly 1,000 musicians performed the piece directly in front of the Metropolitan Opera House to the delight of 10,000 spectators.
For the University, Bruce has condensed the piece to about seven minutes with about 300 musicians.
“We can’t forget that this is happening in the middle of a football game,” Bruce said, laughing. “We have to make it work in a smaller space with [fewer people and less time].”
Launching the composition will be the Nipmuck Turtle Drum, a vibrant part of the Nipmucks, a Northeastern Native American tribe. Through spirited drumming, singing, and dancing, the Nipmuck men and women will summon the music from the center of the turf.
The Governor’s Foot Guard and The Middletown Marching Band, both of whom appeared in the Lincoln Center presentation, will be on hand leading the two parades. Taking the field from opposite sides, the groups will march and eventually meet in sonic assembly. Wesleyan’s pep band, the Cardinal Players, will participate, as will the Wesleyan Wind ensemble.
“This is the biggest thing the pep band has taken part in since our Marxist demonstration in the ’70s,” said pep band member John Psotka ’05.
Also contributing to the energy and sound will be the Stony Creek Ancient Fife and Drum Corps, an esteemed group of adult male musicians. They will be complemented by The Deep River Jr. Ancient Fife & Drum group, a 35-person group of eight-to18-year-old boys and girls.
On the sidelines, voices will add to the mix. The Hopewell Concert Choir, a 30-person African American choir from Hartford will sing. Also contributing vocally will be The Connecticut Choral Society, an 80-person group that will include some young singers from the surrounding area.
Known for his virtuoso bag pipe performing, Matt Welch ’00 will be returning to Wesleyan for the weekend, contributing a bagpipe solo.
Ronald Ebrecht, Wesleyan’s resident organist, will play the organ from the chapel, the sound carrying out to the field.
The high-energy event will close with the ringing of the South College Bells.
“It definitely does sound interesting,” Hilary Moss ’08 confessed after hearing of the planned halftime entertainment. “I just hope there aren’t any wardrobe malfunctions.”
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