Various music ensembles and OU students will unite Tuesday for a special Hurricane Katrina benefit concert.

The University Choir, Wind Symphony Orchestra, Jazz Ensemble, the Chris Wray Quartet and the graduate student Brass Quintet are all performing to raise money for victims who have relocated to Norman.

Beginning at 8 p.m. in the Paul F. Sharp Concert Hall of Catlett Music Center, the concert will be a "celebration of spirit," according to William Wakefield, director of bands and professor of music.

Wakefield said consequently the variety of pieces will reflect moments of contemplation, respect and dignity.

Kyle Weimar, music education senior and current drum major, said some pieces will be patriotic and some will simply be pieces the groups have been working on for other performances.

"A lot of groups volunteered to perform, and it's been such a rush," Weimar said.

In recognition of New Orleans and it's essential relationship to jazz, many of the pieces to be performed will feature music influenced by the popular toe-tapping, sophisticated beats.

The brass quintet will perform a piece by Scott Joplin, and both the Jazz Ensemble and the Chris Wray Quartet will perform a combination of jazz pieces. The quartet is set to perform a piece by popular jazz musician Miles Davis, Wakefield said.

Also on the agenda is a composition to be performed by senior cellist Rob Bradshaw and music professor Howard Lubin. Wakefield said the music for the piece was written by professor of composition, Robert Deemer.

"He's written a piece for cello and piano called 'Lacrymae'," Wakefield said.

Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia fraternity member and music education sophomore Nathan Hillvey said when the group heard about the disaster they decided to organize the event.

"When we heard about the disaster we decided we needed to help out any way we could," Hillvey said.

Hillvey and members of Phi Mu Alpha contacted the Red Cross about the event. Although the Red Cross was not allowed to release the names and addresses of the relocated hurricane victims, the organization agreed to personally contact the victims to invite them to the concert.

"[The Red Cross] will get in touch with them to get them free tickets," Hillvey said.

Weimar, who is president of Phi Mu Alpha, said the concert will not only be entertainment, but for the victims it will be an opportunity to mingle and feel welcomed into their temporary community.

"It gets them away for an evening and gets their mind off what's going on," Weimar said.

This is what Hillvey said the concert is truly about.

"The important thing about this concert is it's not primarily to raise money," Hillvey said. "It's to see if we can take the victims' minds off the disaster in the hour."
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