BY SABRINA WONG
On October 23, the CCHS band program hosted their fall concert in the school cafeteria from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The concert was a fundraiser, so ticket money contributed to supporting the band program as a whole. Tickets were sold for $15 each from October 16 to October 22.
A variety of food was provided to the parents and friends who paid for a concert ticket in advance. These select individuals were given the opportunity to listen to the music being played by the band while eating their meal. Concert Band, Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble were the three different groups who performed.
All band students who were a part of the show arrived at the school by 5 p.m. to prepare for the evening ahead. Between the time the students arrived and the time the performance began, they continued practicing and perfecting the various pieces at a rehearsal conducted by band director Danielle Singer.
The last time a fall dinner concert took place was two years ago. Since then, the concert has been held in the auditorium and excluded the food. However, the past tradition with the meal accompaniment was brought back after many students requested it to Singer.
“The kids mentioned to me that [a concert with a dinner] was something they did with past band directors,” Singer said. “The band kids love playing as much literature as possible throughout the year, so having the fall concert would allow for more learning and playing. We found a fun venue and took advantage of it to fundraise more money.”
The food at the concert was from Pie-Zan’s Home of Frankie Meatballs and was served by the band parents. The menu offered baked ziti, pasta primavera, meatballs and salad. For dessert, an array of chocolate and vanilla Oreos were set up at a separate table. The beverages that were available included water, fruit water, unsweetened tea and lemonade.
The first group to play was Concert Band, who performed “The Tempest,” written by Robert W. Smith.
“It was nice to perform for the parents and show what we have been working on in class.”
Symphonic Band followed soon after, performing two pieces: “On a Hymnsong of a Philip Bliss” written by David R. Holsinger and “Be Thou My Vision” written by Larry Clark.
Wind Ensemble then played two pieces as well: the first movement (Chaconne) of “First Suite in E Flat” written by Gustav Holst and “Sheltering Sky” written by John Mackey.
“‘Sheltering Sky’ has no written meaning behind it, which gives all of us an outlet to give it open interpretation,” Band Captain Juseliz Lefebre Vidal said.
Mackey, a composer of contemporary classical music, is scheduled to come to CCHS on May 1 and 2 to have a residency with the band. A residency is when a performer stays at a certain location and gives multiple shows over an extended period of time.
“After playing his concert literature and even marching a show centralized around his music, being able to meet John Mackey is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Lefebre Vidal said. “I am beyond excited that the Sound of Pride will get the chance to experience his residence.”
The fall concert was a time for band students to display to their parents and friends all the hard work they’ve been putting in to learning the music. They have been working on these pieces since the start of school.
“It was nice to perform for the parents and show what we have been working on in class– it’s different from marching band and interesting to perform in a different setting,” Head Drum Major Kristina Smith said. “It was enjoyable to have a nice and relaxing evening with family, friends and music.”
Photo by Carly Cuoco
