University Communications

The University of Southern Mississippi’s Bands Department will host a weeklong series of free concerts from April 25 through May 1, marking Dr. Colin McKenzie’s final performances as a full-time conductor.
McKenzie, who currently serves as both a conductor and director of the School of Music, will step away from the podium to focus solely on administrative duties within the school. The concert series will take place on the Thomas V. Fraschillo Stage at the Mannoni Performing Arts Center Auditorium on Southern Miss’s Hattiesburg campus.
The opening concert is scheduled for Thursday, April 25, at 7:30 p.m., featuring the Symphonic Winds performing a program of McKenzie’s personal favorites. The event marks a milestone for McKenzie following his years of leading several of the university’s top bands.
“I think it’s bittersweet because I know that new things are coming, but he is a very lively conductor and it’s definitely something sweet to be in his ensemble,” said Rachel Eaton, a sophomore in McKenzie’s ensemble. “I think that will be missed, and I’ve never been a part of something like that.”
The concert series continues Sunday, April 27, at 3 p.m. with performances by the University Band and the Hattiesburg Concert Band. The program will include classic wind band literature and feature a collaboration between current university students and community musicians, many of whom are Southern Miss alumni.
When asked about her favorite piece in the concert series, Eaton highlighted Of Our New Day Begun by Omar Thomas.
“It uses Lift Every Voice and Sing as a motif throughout the whole song and it is really chilling, it’s beautiful,” Eaton said. The composition, written in response to the 2015 Charleston church shooting, was composed in honor of the resilience of the Black community.
On Tuesday, April 29, at 7:30 p.m., the Concert Band will perform alongside the Sumrall High School Concert Band, directed by USM alumnus Robby Brandon. The performance highlights ongoing connections between the university and local high school music programs.
The series will conclude Thursday, May 1, at 7:30 p.m., with a performance by the Wind Ensemble, the department’s premier group. The concert will feature the premiere of a new symphony as well as Johan de Meij’s Lord of the Rings.
Admission to all concerts is free and open to the public.