Godspeed, John Glenn; A concert honoring the New Concord native
NEW CONCORD, Ohio – The Muskingum Valley Symphonic Winds and Muskingum Wind Ensemble are coming together to honor John Glenn.
Godspeed, John Glenn is a concert to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Glenn’s passing in 2016. The music selected for the program is meant to highlight the various aspects of the astronaut, U.S. Senator, and fighter pilot. David Turrill is Muskingum University’s associate professor of music and one of the conductors of the evening. He highlights one of the compositions that is also the program’s namesake.
“The centerpiece of the program is the work that we commissioned after he passed away. and it’s entitled ‘Godspeed, John Glenn’ by Ryan Nowlin, who was chosen to do the commission for us because he is an Ohio native. He was also, is a conductor of the United States Marine Corps. Band, the president’s own band. So, it was a natural fit,” Turrill said.
Two additional conductors will take place during Sunday’s concert. Eric Shields is a Zanesville native and veteran who will be conducting a piece. The other conductor will be Keely Carter. Carter is a junior music education major and will be performing in the ensemble when she isn’t conducting.
“It’s quite exciting for me to get to conduct so many talented musicians. Not only my friends, but members of the community who have been playing their instruments longer than I’ve been alive which is a little bit intimidating but really is so rewarding for me,” Carter said. “Because not only am I up there learning from my own experiences, but I also get to learn from them along the way in their tips and tricks that they’re kind of throwing at me while I’m on the stand.”
Godspeed, John Glenn will take place on Sunday at Muskingum University in Brown Chapel. The concert starts at 3 p.m. and is made possible in part by the Ohio Arts Council. For those who cannot attend in person, Muskingum’s student media group, Orbit Media, will be livestreaming the event on its YouTube channel.
