NIU Percussion Ensemble performs music of Sting

At 8 p.m. Monday, Nov. 23, the NIU Percussion Ensemble will present a concert featuring the entire "Ten Summoners Tales" album by singer and songwriter Sting. The performance will combine modern percussion ensemble sounds with musical traditions from around the world to highlight Sting's musical depth and artistry.

The album "Ten Summoners Tales" was best known for two hits, "Fields of Gold" and "If I Ever Lose My Faith In You," which climbed the Billboard Hot 100 charts in the early 1990s. These songs contain both clever and beautiful lyrics, along with intricate instrumental writing.

However, songs such as "Love Is Stronger Than Justice" and "St. Augustine in Hell" off the album are written in odd time signatures, atypical of most pop music of that time. Because of Sting's work as a former English teacher, his lyrics are poetic and playful, and his songs on this album touch on issues of lust, murder, fear, love, jealousy, passion, faith, wisdom and joy.

Visiting professor of Percussion Ben Wahlund says, "I have been listening to this album for years now, and have imagined every track of this album to be a rich outlet for percussion ensemble."

Wahlund is the principal arranger of this project, and is a co-director of the NIU Percussion Ensemble for the 2015-16 school year. Sting's instrumental writing is a display of texture, harmony and meter.

During the performance, the audience will hear many arrangements written for a "percussion orchestra" sound, which involves multiple marimbas, vibraphone, xylophone, drum set, auxiliary percussion and timpani.

Percussion studies at NIU involve studying all of these instruments, plus a multitude of global percussion styles. This concert will prominently feature members of the NIU Steel Band.

The concert will be in the Boutell Memorial Concert Hall on the DeKalb campus. Admission is free. For details, contact Michael Mixtacki at mmixtacki@niu.edu or (815) 753-0871.