On April 16, the Drury University Wind Symphony will present a concert paying tribute to Drury’s past concert bands, namely the 1972-1973 and the 1948-1949 classes. In the 2023-2024 school year, these ensembles respectively mark their 50th and 75th anniversaries.  

Drury’s history with music extends to its beginning years. In 1874, Drury’s first president, Nathan J. Morrison, announced the creation of a Conservatory of Music affiliated with Drury, which housed the Bachelor of Music degree. According to the Music Major Handbook, the department of music was established in 1917 when the conservatory became an integral part of the institution, then known as Drury College.  

As a core piece of Drury’s history, Troy Peterson, director of marching and athletic bands, wanted the music department to be involved in this year’s 150th anniversary celebrations. Also, the director of Drury’s Wind Symphony, Peterson found a way to contribute: “Over the summer, I thought it would be a cool idea if we recreated some of the concerts from the past.” 

Peterson found a box filled with hundreds of old concert programs in Drury’s music library. He narrowed his music search to the 1948-1949 and 1972-1973 ensembles to celebrate their significant anniversaries, but also partly for accessibility.  

The music library had most of the music from the previous ensembles, but some titles could not be recovered or replaced. “After it’s been on the market for about 20 years, unless it sells so many copies, they don’t do another run,” Peterson said, referencing titles he had wanted to play but could not find.  

The Wind Symphony will be playing works by Percy Grainger, Gustav Holst, Frank Erickson, and two marches by Robert E. Jager and John Philip Sousa. The concert will also feature a version of the Drury Alma Mater arranged by Peterson.  

“Back then, they alternated a march every three or four tunes with a contemporary piece or something lyrical, and I think we’re touching all those bases as well,” said Peterson.  

The concert will be held in Spangler Hall, a part of the recently remodeled Clara Thompson Hall, at 7:30 pm on Tuesday, April 16. The concert is free and open to the public. 

Peterson shared his excitement for the concert and for the growth of Drury’s music department. “Every year, I think the band gets better and better,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of kids coming in next year that we’ve offered scholarships to, and that excites me a lot.”  

“I love everybody that’s here right now, and I know that bringing more people in and just making us bigger is only going to make us that much more successful and able to achieve even more difficult literature,” Peterson said. “I’m looking forward to it.” 

Featured photo taken by Troy Peterson