Student Ensembles
OVERVIEW
The primary focus of Performance Music at The ÐÓ°ÉÔ°æ is upon our student choral and instrumental performing ensembles. There is no major in music at The ÐÓ°ÉÔ°æ, and all enrolled Scranton students (undergraduate and graduate) are eligible for membership in the ÐÓ°ÉÔ°æ Bands, ÐÓ°ÉÔ°æ Performance Choirs, ÐÓ°ÉÔ°æ String Orchestra & Ensembles, and Steel Drum Ensemble. Neither an audition nor enrollment fee is required for membership. A number of members of the faculty and staff, as well as alumni from the region, also perform with the groups. Hundreds of students participate in the ensembles each year.
Large ensembles include Concert/Symphonic Band, Concert Choir/Singers, String Orchestra, Jazz Ensemble (big band format), and Steel Drum Ensemble. Smaller groups are made up of members from within the large ensembles, and vary by semester, including groups such as String Quartet, Flute Ensemble, Saxophone Ensemble, Low Brass Sextet, Trumpet Choir, Clarinet Ensemble, Jazz Combo, Percussion Ensemble, and small vocal groups in various formats. Solo, duo, trio, and quartet performance opportunities are available to members of the ensembles through the semesterly General Recitals.
Other programs within the department - such as our Guest Artist Series concert programming, World Premiere Composition Series, The Nelhybel Collection, and Scranton Brass Orchestra - closely coordinate programming with the student ensembles and offer unique opportunities for student musicians in the ensembles to hear, observe, interact and perform with a variety of world class musicians and artist-teachers.
High school juniors and seniors considering application to Scranton for future years are encouraged to contact Performance Music to arrange to sit in on a rehearsal, meet the staff, attend a concert or masterclass/clinic, or tour the building.
CAN I STILL JOIN STUDENT ENSEMBLES FOR FALL 2024?
Though the fall open enrollment period has closed for most ensembles, exceptions may be made for certain instruments - email music@scranton.edu for information.
WHAT MUSIC ARE THE LARGE ENSEMBLES PREPARING FOR PERFORMANCES IN FALL 2024?
CONCERT BAND: Arnold "Four Scottish Dances"; Balmages "Shrine of The Fallen"; Boysen "All The Pretty Little Horses"; Ewazen "Celtic Hymns and Dances"; Jarre/Reed "Lawrence of Arabia"; Lauridsen "Contre Qui Rose"; Nelhybel "Chorale"; Shostakovich/Erickson "Folk Dances"; Sparke "Mandalen Landscapes"; Ticheli "Rest"; Zdechlik "Choral & Shaker Dance"
STRING ORCHESTRA: Bartok "Romanian Folk Dances"; Brahms/Isaac "Hungarian Dance No. 4"; Clark "Japanese Lullaby"; Dvorak "Dance from Czech Suite"; Moussorgsky/Isaac "Hopak (from the Fair at Sorochinsk)"; Nelhybel "Espressivo"; Newbold "Egyptian Legacy"; Mosier "Baltic Dance"; Newbold "Lion City"
CHOIR: Hardy/Sirett "The Oxen"; Leavitt "Agnus Dei"; Lowry/Green/Fettke "Mary, Did You Know?"; Mendelssohn "A Star Shall Rise Out of Jacob"; Nelhybel "Estampie Natalis"; Oakeley/Wade/Luboff "Adeste Fideles (O Come All Ye Faithful)"; Southwell/Sirett "Waye Not His Cribb"
JAZZ BAND: Boplicity, Bye Bye Blackbird, Blues Brothers Revue, Can't Help Falling In Love, The Chicken, Cute, The Girl From Ipanema, Haitian Fight Song, I Got You, Rockin' In Rhythm, When I Fall In Love
STEEL DRUMS: Buffett/Shores "Margaritaville"; Shores "Baja"
SAXOPHONE ENSEMBLE: Albeniz/deWolfe "Tango"; Harper "Amazing Grace"; Rossini/Tomsett "Overture from Barber of Seville"
MEN'S CHOIR: "Hallelujah I'm A Bum" arr. Boga
STRING QUARTET: Bach "Three Pieces"; Leclair "Badinage"; Stamitz "Allegro"
FLUTE ENSEMBLE: please check back for updates.