Four orchestral compositions graced the boards of Mitchell Hall Friday afternoon, led off by the University of Central Oklahoma Chamber Orchestra under dynamic conductor Hong Zhu. Stephen Yip’s Infinite Rain shimmered with veiled tone colors through the composer’s use of tremolo, string harmonics and sensitive scoring of his pentatonic melodies. The work, in three nearly continuous movements, ended on a forceful note with the insistent “Bells Ringing in the Rain.”
The UCO Symphony Orchestra performed three pieces. Arthur Gottschalk’s suitably cinematic Amelia(Empire of the Sun), dedicated to Amelia Earhart and her spirit of adventure, was directed by Lori Wooden. Its colorful scoring and ostinati suggesting alternating menace and heroism succeeded in building expectation into ever-higher waves of energy.
– Guy Vollen
