Return to story

ALL DRESSED UP! Costume concert is a Halloween tradition

October 27, 2005 1:06 am

By JENNIFER STROBEL

Craig Naylor is forever reminding his music students to bring pencils to rehearsals.

One year, a student took the exhortation to the extreme: She came to a performance dressed as a life-size pencil.

But then anything's possible at the Halloween costume concert, the brainchild of Naylor, director of the University of Mary Washington Wind and Percussion Ensemble.

Now in its fifth year, the concert is becoming a tradition for the ensemble of 50 musicians, mostly students, who dress in costume and encourage the audience to do so, as well.

Naylor gets into the act, too. One year he appeared as the New Year's baby. He pulled his hair up into a topknot and wore a robe, which, at the last instant, he flung off to reveal a big diaper and a sash emblazoned with the year 2003.

Another year, he showed up as an old man with a mask and a thick beard.

He won't reveal his costume for this year's concert, which will take place Monday in the Great Hall of the Woodard Campus Center. Admission is a nonperishable food item for the Fredericksburg Area Food Bank.

Just as Naylor is keeping everyone in the dark about his plans, the concert hall will be in the dark altogether at one point.

One of the pieces on the program, "Voodoo," is played in the dark. No conductor. No lights.

The musicians perform from memory.

The title, incidentally, has nothing to do with the practice of religion. According to the Web site of composer Daniel Bukvich, the name came from a missionary friend who told him the night sounds of the jungle in Guatemala reminded her of "those old Voodoo movies."

When the Idaho composer wrote the piece with the didactic mission of challenging performers to listen to one another, it occurred to him that turning the lights out would command their attention.

The UMW ensemble also will perform the theme from the movie "Psycho," as well as a medley of tunes by Ray Charles and from the musical "Chicago."

The musical style for the informal evening is more easygoing than a typical orchestral concert.

"I would compare it with a conventional jazz ensemble but three times as big," Naylor said. "We play a lot of pops tunes that are jazzy."

Music is only part of the spirited evening.

Everyone in costume has a fair chance at a prize, with winners being chosen by audience applause.

"It comes down to who brings the most groupies," Naylor said cheerfully.

Being the youngest in the crowd helps, too, he remarked.

"The 9-year-old in costume always seems to win first."

The first winner gets the pick of prizes, things like restaurant gift certificates or university memorabilia. But by evening's end, nearly everyone seems to have won something, he said.

"It's just a fun thing," Naylor said.

Naylor, an assistant professor of music and a composer who claims his instrument is the pencil, first came to UMW five years ago. The informal Halloween concert seemed a good way to offer the ensemble a chance to perform early in the term.

"We all had so much fun, I decided to make it an annual event," he said.

Attendance varies at the event, which lasts just a little over an hour.

"Sometimes the crowd is small, sometimes it's filled," Naylor said. "It's hard to know because we do it on Halloween and there's a lot going on."

Audiences will have a second chance to hear the ensemble perform "Voodoo" on Nov. 18 in Dodd Auditorium, where it's possible to achieve the total darkness Naylor would like.

This concert will feature a potpourri of celebrations: Halloween, All Saint's Day, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year's.

To reach JENNIFER STROBEL:540/374-5000, ext. 5698jstrobel@freelancestar.com