Woodwind Trio brings Beethoven and Classical Tunes

Wednesday night, Oct. 19, I was honored to sit in on a rehearsal of the Moravian College Woodwind Trio. Peter Hall, their locale, was softly lit with a few stage lights, and with a door cracked open the string ensemble playing across the hall could just be heard.

The members came bustling in after their dinner break, chatting lightly while unpacking their instruments.The trio consists of Krysti Nappi, '14, on flute; Missy Zirkel, '13, on clarinet; and Adam Dart, '13, on oboe. All are music majors and in both marching band and orchestra.

The trio is directed by Deborah Andrus, who is a clarinet teacher and adjunct professor here at Moravian College.

On Fridays the group rehearses under the guidance of the director, but on Wednesdays the practice is strictly student run.

The group begins practice at 7 p.m. on Wednesdays, and rehearsal goes for an hour, fit among the musicians' busy schedules.

"Practicing on our own is like practicing for a lesson." said Missy. "When we practice with Dr. Andrus, she will help us polish the pieces, picking at trouble spots, and suggesting things that I wouldn't have even thought of."

Their music consists of a few classical pieces. The pieces can range from light, fast and airy to slow and lyrical. One of the pieces this semester is Beethoven's Trio Op. 87. The music, gentle in tambor, fluttered through the old concert hall, crickets' chimes the backdrop.

The simplicity of a group of three members and the unique mixture of tones of the three instruments results in a sweet clear sound, gleaming through silence.

The Woodwind Trio performs their music at a concert on Nov. 13, along with the other small ensembles, Clarinet Choir and Flute Troupe. The Clarinet Choir is also directed by Deborah Andrus, and the Flute Troupe by Robin Kani, a flute teacher at Moravian.

The members worked very well together and the rehearsal went smoothly and efficiently, as their music filled the otherwise empty Peter Hall on the quiet autumn night.

As rehearsal ended, Krysti, Missy, and Adam began packing up their instruments and heading off to other rehearsals or practices. Work is never done for a music major!