Dr. Robert Spradling was Western Michigan University's director of bands for 20 years, retiring in 2013. His passing in July 2020 was mourned at a distance by thousands of former students, colleagues, and friends who could not gather during the COVID-19 pandemic.
At 3 pm on Sunday, Feb 20, the WMU Wind Symphony will play several works of significance in Spradling's musical life, as well as the world premiere of ...in the garden of memory... by Jack Stamp, a long-time friend. Dr. Scott Boerma picked the pieces and will conduct several of them. He spoke with Cara Lieurance about the stories behind the music and his own personal connection to Spradling, who was a generous and loyal supporter of the bands when Boerma became the new director.
The free concert begins with Dr. Mary Land conducting the WMU Concert Band, an ensemble for skilled students who want to play music but are not necessarily music majors.
