On Sun., Jan. 19 at 4 p.m., Concordia’s acclaimed Music Department will hold their “Brass and Bronze” concert at Trinity United Presbyterian Church in Santa Ana. Attendance is free and no tickets are required!       

The concert will feature the Concordia Brass conducted by Dr. Jeff Held as well as Handbell Renaissance which is led by 2023 alum Daniel Ujifusa. Concordia Brass is composed of student musicians from the Concordia Wind Orchestra and the Concordia Symphony Orchestra, showing off the best of the brass family of instruments from trumpets to French horns. Handbell Renaissance is an advanced handbell ensemble featuring alumni musicians. The concert will also include Dr. David Holben, a tuba professor at Concordia.

“Brass and Bronze” is one of the Music Department’s first events in 2025 and looks to be an exciting lead into the new year. Senior Communications major Matthew Cordrey, a member of the Concordia Symphony Orchestra and Concert Handbells, is eagerly preparing for his first brass concert, calling it “a privilege to be part of for my senior year.” He added, “I’m looking forward to debuting the piece we specifically commissioned for this concert from [Concordia alum and adjunct professor] Christian Guebert, called Metallurgy and March.” 

Guebert’s piece is a celebration of handbells and brass instruments, combining their distinct sounds into brilliant harmony with one another. Concordia’s past concerts have been celebrated for both their renditions of famed pieces and premieres of new music, both of which will be showcased Sunday in the hour-long concert. 

The concert comes three days after “Concordia Brass in Concert,” a showcase of the Music Department which took place on Jan. 16 featuring 23 of Concordia’s musicians from the Brass Ensemble alongside Bakersfield Christian High School’s Band. The “Brass and Bronze” concert will showcase many of the same pieces of music as the “Brass in Concert” event while adding in Handbells this time alongside Concordia Brass. 

The concert has been a highlight for participants and attendees alike in past years, leaving a lasting impression on many of its musicians. Elizabeth Hicks noted that the Brass performers become “a very close knit group” due to the smaller size of the ensemble. Hicks is a post baccalaureate student studying Special Education and is a member of the Wind Orchestra, the Symphony Orchestra, and Concert Bells. She continued, “I am so looking forward to the Tuba Concerto! Dr. Holben is an amazing tuba player and I love playing with him!” The Tuba Concerto by Vaughan Williams is one of the most famous pieces of brass music, promising to delight its listeners especially with the expert touch of Holben on the tuba.

Come to “Brass and Bronze” and support Concordia’s incredible musicians in one of their first concerts of 2025. The concert will be held at Trinity United Presbyterian Church in Santa Ana on Jan. 19 at 4 p.m. It is free to attend, with no tickets required. Please visit https://www.cui.edu/arts/music/events for more information and to keep up with all upcoming events for the Music Department.

Tags: Alexander Carr, Concert, Handbells

---

About Kayla Reed

More articles by Kayla Reed