Students, parents and locals gathered on Sunday afternoon at the Anderson Center Chamber Hall for the Binghamton University Wind Symphony’s wedding-themed performance of “Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue.”

Conductor Daniel Fabricius noted that the show was inspired by an old Victorian-era rhyme that details bridal fashion to ensure luck for the bride’s wedding day. Each song reflected a verse of the rhyme: “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue and a sixpence in her shoe.”

Mike Shapiro, a junior majoring in electrical engineering, applauded Fabricius’ execution of the program.

“I liked how he had the whole theme going,” Shapiro said. “I thought it gave a lot of cohesion.”

Fabricius began the show with “Fanfare for a New Era,” composed by Jack Stamp in 1997, to offer “something new” to the audience. This piece opened with a trumpet motif and was written to celebrate the appointment of Lt. Col. Lowell E. Graham as commander of the United States Air Force Band.

The second piece, “Blue Lake, Overture for Concert Band,” composed by John Barnes Chance in 1971, represented “something blue.” Fabricius introduced the overture by explaining how the color blue evokes connotations of innocence and purity. “Blue Lake, Overture for Concert Band” recognized each section by a solo as the piece came to a finish.

“Suite of Old American Dances,” composed by Robert Russell Bennett in 1949, signified “something old.” This suite consisted of five pieces titled “Cakewalk,” “Schottische,” “Western One Step,” “Wallflower Waltz” and “Rag.” The pieces exemplified the evolution of American dance culture from the pre-Civil War era to the early 20th century.

The performance maintained the dance theme throughout the next piece, “Folk Dances,” written by Dmitri Shostakovich in 1979. This song represented “something borrowed” because of its theatrical origins. “Folk Dances” highlighted the accessibility of band music across cultures and continents.

While the last piece of the performance, “Elsa’s Procession to the Cathedral” from “Lohengrin,” conducted by Richard Wagner from 1846-1848, did not represent the remaining verse, “a sixpence in her shoe,” it was a testament to the overall theme — the wedding. “Elsa’s Procession to the Cathedral” was originally intended as an operatic presentation of Elsa’s betrothal to Lohengrin, a mystic knight of the Holy Grail. This piece embodied the bridal theme of the performance and proved to be the perfect ending to the show.

After completing the planned program, Fabricius surprisingly announced an encore performance of “Sleigh Ride” by Leroy Anderson to wish the remaining audience a wonderful holiday break.

Dan Litt, an undeclared freshman, attended the concert to support a friend in the band.

“The artistic ability and musicianship of this show was really good,” Litt said. “They showed great skill.”

Although this was the Wind Symphony’s last performance for the semester, other ensembles are still performing. Visit www.binghamton.edu/music for more information.