U.S. Coast Guard Woodwind Quintet Will Take Listeners on a Transatlantic Voyage

A Press Release from the U.S. Coast Guard

The United States Coast Guard Woodwind Quintet is poised to begin its free fall concert series. The first is on Sunday, September 29 at 2 p.m. in Leamy Concert Hall, followed by Park Congregational Church in Norwich on Monday October 7 at 7 p.m. The final performance is in Davidson Hall at Central Connecticut State University on Tuesday October 8 at 3 p.m.

The program, entitled “Transatlantic Voyage,” journeys from England to France to the United States and back again with works by Malcolm Arnold, Claude Debussy, Samuel Barber, and Jean Françaix. 

Opening with “Three Shanties,” composed by Malcolm Arnold in 1943, you will practically feel the mist of the sea on your face. The next port of call is an idyllic 19th century French town with Debussy’s delightful “Arabesque No. 1.” 

The voyage continues with Samuel Barber’s “Summer Music, Op. 31,” written in 1953. With its thick, almost humid orchestration and distinctly mid-century tonality, there is no mistaking time or place. Finally arriving in Paris, you hear Jean Françaix’s wonderfully vibrant neoclassical work, “Quintette,” in four movements.

The United States Coast Guard Woodwind Quintet is one of the most popular and versatile ensembles within the Coast Guard Band. The quintet presents the entire spectrum of standard woodwind quintet repertoire—from Renaissance works through unpublished contemporary works. The group also performs popular arrangements of light classical music, show tunes and rags. 

The Woodwind Quintet has performed at various Coast Guard dinners and receptions, chamber music festivals, schools and universities, nursing homes, clinics, and on national television (CNN) during Liberty Weekend. Most recently, the group has recorded La Nouvelle Orleans by Lalo Schifrin for release on a disc featuring The United States Coast Guard Band Chamber Players. 

Personnel: Musician 1st Class Laura Pirruccello, flute; Chief Musician Barrett Seals, oboe; Chief Musician Chantal Hovendick, Ccarinet; Chief Musician Brooke Allen, bassoon; and Musician 1st Class Bryce Nakaoka, horn.

These events are free and open to the public. No tickets are required. The Coast Guard Academy is located at 15 Mohegan Avenue in New London, CT. Park Congregational Church is located at 283 Broadway in Norwich, CT. Davidson Hall, on the campus of Central Connecticut University, is located at 1615 Stanley Street in New Britain. For more information on the Coast Guard Band, visit www.uscg.mil/band or call the Concert Information Line at (860) 701-6826.