The group sounded ready at their rehearsal

The Columbia University Wind Ensemble hopes to give inner-city fourth graders the chance to be their next generation, as tomorrow’s their fifth annual Columbia Festival of Winds. Proceeds will go to supplying the group of students from Making Music Matter at P.S. 125 with their instruments and music books. The event starts at 2 pm in Roone Arledge and lasts until 6:30 pm, and tickets are $5 with a CUID, or $40 for superstar VIP treatment. Other ensembles playing include Connecticut Symphonic Winds, Princeton University Wind Ensemble, Manhattan Wind Ensemble, NYU Concert Band, and the Brooklyn Wind Symphony. Even the kids from P.S. 125 will come perform what they’ve been working on, which will be one of the cutest things you’ve seen—and probably pretty impressive, too.

Before the massed band finale, the Columbia University Wind Ensemble will play pieces by Shostakovich, Del Tredici, Beck, Holst, and Caplan. Shosty’s classic Festive Overture sounded sharp and energetic at the group’s Monday night rehearsal once the group found its unity, and the group played Del Tredici’s Acrostic Song with appropriate gravity and purpose. The music seems very promising, it’s for a good cause, and tickets are only $5. Don’t let a little bit of homework deter you from supporting your wind ensemble peers!