Musicians appear in prominent positions in other works by the same artist, notably in the middle of the central panel of the Hay Wain Triptych. The well-known Estonian vocal group Heinavanker (which has visited Tucson on two occasions) takes its name from this painting.
Fred Fox's generous support of the School of Music is having positive consequences for music everywhere on campus. The Pride of Arizona marching band has been freed from the constraints of its crowd-pleasing role to investigate some more creative possibilities. An immediately obvious sign of the change is the name of the band, which it will not just change once, but repeatedly, cycling through several different titles.
Hieronymus Bosch (ca. 1450–1516) or follower [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
The seven deadly sins and four last things
The starting point for the name change was the observation that the quality the current name referenced, Pride, was just one of seven possibilities arranged in a circular pattern at the center of a well-known painting. Each segment of the circle bears a label in Latin, so Pride appears as Superbia, with the other labels being Ira, Luxuria, Accidia, Gula, Avaricia and Invidia. The Latin names sound more distinguished than their English translations (particularly in the case of Luxuria), so the initial name change will be to Superbia Arizonensis (still referring to Pride), and the name will cycle through the other six labels, changing at the start of a new semester. The alternation reflects the band's new commitment to explore different musical possibilities, and the use of Latin reflects the depth of tradition which will lie behind it.
Hieronymus Bosch (ca. 1450–1516) or follower
Superbia (detail)
Reviving little-heard instruments
The band will also showcase some of the little-heard instruments that the University owns, bringing their sound to a wider audience, and providing an incentive to keep them well maintained (this last concern being of particular importance for the collection of crumhorns). For example, although band members have played the University's sackbuts in the past, they have done so in other recitals, never at band performances.
