On Thursday, November 7, the University of North Texas Wind Symphony performed a fantastic concert that incorporated pieces from many different styles and cultures. The ensemble's ability to express the distinctive emotions and settings of each piece far surpasses its high reputation. The band began with Anthony O'Toole's "Fanfare to 'The Hammer'" (2013). The piece is a tribute to Hank Aaron or “The Hammer”, an African American, who despite living in times of segregation and racial turmoil, became a professional baseball player. This heroic and inspirational story is certainly on display throughout the piece. It begins with a burst of excitement and grandeur. The fanfare motif is performed in the high brass throughout much of the piece, highlighting the powerful and inspiring tradition created by baseball. Suddenly, a particularly strange and interesting clarinet solo rises above the rest of the ensemble. The noticeably dissimilar melody created by the clarinet creates a slight tension when contrasted with the high brass fanfare melody; however, the clarinet is slowly joined by other woodwinds until they finally join the brass in a beautiful harmony that pushes towards the courageous end. The solo demonstrates the courage shown by Hank Aaron in achieving his dreams; Although he was not initially accepted, Aaron continued to persevere and paved the way for racial equality in the world of professional sports. The next piece, “Et Exspecto Resurrectionem Mortuorum” by Oliver Messiaen, was a multi-movement piece that proved to be the highlight. of the performance. Before the piece began, a guest speaker spoke about the meaning behind the piece and why it was selected. Originally written for the French g...... middle of the paper...... is extremely dark. The solo takes place throughout the movement and is accompanied by the undulating movement of the clarinet and soft trills of the flute. The solo tone of this movement highlights how a long solo on a single instrument can exhibit a very broad arrangement of styles, melodies and harmonies. The final movement "Tempo du Buleria" begins with a conga groove and percussive claps. This frenetic Latin grove is accompanied by brass melodies. Quickly, a smooth transition to a lyrical flute solo comes out of nowhere. The movement then concludes with a jazz klezmer and a flute run. The dramatic differences between the melodies in the final movement highlight the harmony that exists between the different genres of the classical and jazz repertoire. Overall, the symphonic wind concert displayed a wide range of styles and emotions which were extremely well executed by the ensemble..