The Queen’s University Wind Ensemble, directed by Dan Tremblay, is open to all members of the University community by audition. The Wind Ensemble usually meets twice a week and performs two times a year. In past years, conjunct concerts with other high-calibre Canadian wind ensembles and conductors were encouraged. Past collaborations included performances with the McGill Wind Symphony (Alain Cazes), Western University (Colleen Richardson), UofT (Gillian MacKay), and the Central Band of the Canadian Forces (Capt. Fullerton). The Wind Ensemble is performing a repertoire of classic, contemporary, and newly composed music. In Old Wine in New Bottles by Gordon Jacob, each movement is based on an Old English folk song, and the free modern treatment of the familiar tunes gives rise to its title. The same process is applied in David Maslanka's Give us This Day, a Short Symphony for Wind Ensemble. In one of Persichetti's most popular compositions, Divertimento for Band, the six short movements demonstrate rhythmic and contrapuntal savoir-faire blended neatly with tongue-in-cheek humor and lyrical nostalgia.

The Queen’s Jazz Ensemble, directed by Greg Runions, provides a space for young musicians on campus to come together and share their interest in jazz and improvised music. While the ensemble usually takes the form of a traditional big band, it has also been the home of ensembles ranging from trios, quartets, septets and nonets. The band covers a wide range of repertoire from classic big band era repertoire from the likes of Benny Goodman Duke Ellington, Count Basie, the contemporary sounds of Stan Kenton, Buddy Rich, Woody Herman and repertoire from the current leaders in the field of original music for big band. The ensemble has been active on campus since the mid seventies and looks forward to providing an opportunity for young musicians to come together for many years to come. The ensemble will be performing some of the classic music Henry Mancini composed for the television series Peter Gunn, music from the L.A. Express album Tom Cattin' and a couple selections from Art Peppper's classic album, Art Pepper + 11.