CLINTON – Hamilton College’s Music Department has free Family Weekend performances on Friday October 8 and Saturday October 9 at 7:30 p.m. at Wellin Hall, Schambach Center for Music and the Performing Arts.

The Department of Dance and Movement Studies and the Hamilton College Choir will share the stage on Friday, October 8. Paris faculty choreographers Wilcox and Bruce Walczyk will present a series of short pieces for student dancers. “Back to Bach”, choreographed by Wilcox, is a quick, lively neoclassical-inspired piece inspired by Bach’s Violin Concerto in E major. It captures the energy of the department’s return to Wellin after a prolonged absence. “For the Season”, also by Wilcox, is a somewhat thoughtful duet.

Wilcox’s choreography ends with “Periodicity” for the full ensemble. This piece which capitalizes on the energy and talent of the dancers and is tuned to the inimitable sounds of the Kodo drummers. Bruce Walczyk presents “Basic Training at the Strickland School,” which incorporates live beats derived from the use by performers of olisi (fire-hardened rattan sticks) and percussionist Richard Lloyd. The movements are derived from the Filipino martial arts.

Immediately after the dance portion of the program, Charlotte Botha leads the Hamilton College Choir in its first public performance since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The performance will feature highlights from their fall program Together, a celebration of community and the creative expression the group has found through music, despite the pandemic.

The Hamilton College Orchestra and Jazz Ensemble will perform on Saturday October 9. Heather Buchman conducts the orchestra in Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony No. 8 in B minor. Monk Rowe would then lead the Hamilton College Jazz Ensemble and Combo in an eclectic jazz ensemble in several styles, including swing, Latin and soul jazz. Music from Count Basie, Sonny Rollins and Cannonball Adderley will provide an upbeat finale.

Tickets are not required. All customers should be vaccinated against COVID-19 and wear a mask indoors. Children under 12 who are not eligible for vaccination cannot enter campus buildings. For more information, go online at www.hamilton.edu/performingarts or call 315-859-4331.