By Zach Colona

Cheers and applause filled the room as the Guidonian Hand, a trombone quartet, walked out of the darkness and onto the brightly lit stage in the large auditorium of Marple campus Feb. 22.

Twenty-one audience members stood as the quartet settled in before playing a number of classics composed by Wolfgang A. Mozart, Johann Sebastian Bach,  and others.

The Guidonian Hand, whose performances have been described as “expertly played” in The New York Times, is based in Manhattan and plays across the country.  Their members include Mark Broschinsky, Will Lang, James Rogers and Matt Melore.

Also known as The Hand, the quartet was one of 13, selected from more than 100 ensembles, who received the 2012 Chamber of Music America Award for classical composition.

Enthusiastic applause followed their finale that featured the works of Thelonious Monk, which Lang, the tenor of the group, said was “dear to our hearts.”

Another popular piece was called “The Creation,” which was “inspired by the Bible,” said Broschinsky, the group’s alto.

Broschinsky said the quartet’s  unique name comes from a device that was used to help choral singers learn their songs in the 12th century.

Last fall, the quartet  also performed in the Music for Autism event in Queens, New York to a group of all ages.

The quartet played in DCCC’s  large auditorium for about an hour and was followed by a brief Q and A.

Admission was $10 and free for students with a valid DCCC ID.

At the beginning of the performance the four musicians walked out smiling, then quickly began their performance with a piece by Franz Joseph Hayden. This piece was inspired by the biblical portrayal of the seven-day creation story.

Next the quartet played two songs by French composer Claude Debussy.

After this they moved onto the works of Johann Georg Albrechtsberger, particularly his works titled “Mass in D.”

The next composer they covered was Eve Beglarian, the only female composer.

Then the group performed one more song before a 15-minute intermission.

Once the group returned, they started with the popular works of Mozart and Bach.

After that the quartet played their finale, composed by Monk, to a long applause. Audience  member Carmen Christiana, a 75-year-old Vietnam War veteran, called the performance “very interesting.”

At the conclusion of their performance, the group answered questions from the audience. Some listeners asked about the origin of their name, others about the  instruments the musicians played.

“That was really cool,” said Ben Mitchell, a clarinet player, after attending the show.

The DCCC concert series features several concerts each year with three still to come in March and April.

Upcoming performances include David Bowlin (violin) and Thomas Sauer (piano) on March 22, the Latin Fiesta on March 29 and  Richard Belcastro on April 12 (sitar).

All events will take place in the large auditorium on the Marple Campus at 3 p.m.