Long-time fans of ISU choral and ensemble concerts may be pleasantly surprised by this year’s line-up of performances. While there are still plenty of familiar performances, the entire department is working together to produce a concert series that hasn’t been seen at Iowa State for several years.

The department is starting the semester off with a wide variety of different productions. The groups will still perform separately as they have in past years, but this semester’s concert series will also feature a unique collaborative effort by the entire department.

“We come together as best as we can,” says James Rodde, professor of music and director of choral activities. “We have a lot of activities going on and we try to tell each other what is happening. There are times when we all work together and definitely times when we have our separate projects.”

The ISU Orchestra, Wind Ensemble and Jazz Ensemble will join forces for a performance titled “Celebrate America,” an annual fall event featuring pieces by different American composers. This year, world-renowned opera star Simon Estes will be lending his voice to the performance.

“I’m really excited about performing with Simon Estes,” Gaines says. “I’m actually nervous; he has been all around the world. I remember being very impressed by his music.”

Michael Golemo, associate professor of music and director of bands, has been leading the Wind Ensemble in preparation for “Celebrate America.” Golemo says he is most excited about “Heroes, Lost and Fallen” by David Gillingham, a tribute to veterans of the Vietnam War.

“It is an intense work that represents a timeline of war,” Golemo says. “It’s unique because he uses quotes from the national anthem, ‘Taps’ and the Vietnamese national anthem as well. It also uses extensive percussion and fantastic colors and orchestration.”

The Jazz Ensemble is preparing several pieces for the concert as well. James Bovinette, associate professor of music and director of jazz ensembles, says “Celebrate America” is ironic, as the ISU Orchestra and Wind Ensemble are performing music by American composers that are not native to America.

“Not even rock ‘n’ roll is classified as American music,” Bovinette says. “That came from the British Invasion, but jazz is American.”

Golemo says experimenting with joining the different musical groups will provide unique experiences for both the performers and the directors.

“This is the first concert in a long time where all three bands are doing something together,” Golemo says. “We are trying some new and special things.”

Other facets of the music department are experimenting with new ideas as well. All of the department’s choirs, headed by Rodde, will be collaborating for one concert, “Collage of Choirs,” which includes the Iowa State Singers, Lyrica and Cantamus Women’s Choirs and the Statesmen Men’s Choir. The choral compositions selected for “Collage of Choirs” includes an array of music, Rodde says.

“The concert will have music from around the world,” Rodde says. “Right now, the students are rehearsing a little bit of everything.”