Author: Claudia Ly and Natalie Nguyen
Date: February 17, 2020
Through February 27th and 28th, the EVHS’s Music Program put on their annual mid-year concert. As their third official concert of the school year, they continued to showcase new pieces that they have worked on since the last concert back in December.
The first night of the concert was on Thursday, February 27th and it consisted of the Jazz Bands, Orchestra, and Symphonic Orchestra. The Jazz Ensemble made their debut by being the first group to perform. It was a group that included non-traditional jazz instruments such as flutes and clarinets. Their setlist was short, only consisting of two songs: Autumn Leaves by Johnny Mercer and Joseph Kosma and Poco Loco by Carl Strommen. After a short seating change, the next group came on stage. The group was the Big Band, performing for the second time in concert. Unlike the first group, this was more of a “traditional” jazz group, with instruments such as saxophones, trumpets, and trombones. Since Big Band was the more advanced group, their set was slightly longer than the Jazz Ensemble. Their set was four songs long and each song had a different feel and vibe to it.
After a short fifteen minute intermission, the EVHS Orchestra took the stage. They started off strong with a piece called March to the Scaffold by Hector Berloiz. In the fourth movement of Symphonie Fantastique, March to the Scaffold tells a story of a fever dream that a guy has and he dreams that he is heading to the guillotine to get his head chopped off. This was represented by sudden loud moments in the song that mimicked the suspense of seeing other peoples’ heads being chopped off. They followed this song with The Blacksmith, which was a more mellow song but also included some big moments. Lullaby was their next piece and much like the name, it was a piece that could put the audience to sleep. Their last piece was called The Emerald Falcon. It was a powerful and strong piece that showed off the strengths of the orchestra. The winds joined on stage shortly after the final piece and formed the Symphonic Orchestra. They played Egyptian Legacy by Soon Hee Newbold. It exuded a different aura than all the other pieces that were played that night. The night ended on a high note as the last piece had the audience clapping enthusiastically.
The second night of the concert featured all of the other bands that were not featured on the first night. The second night kicked off with the new and refreshing Concert Band, made up of the new kids on the block: a whopping 75 freshmen. They began the nights with the cool and upbeat piece Dancing in the Rain that was quickly followed by the exciting, adventure-esque piece Flash in the Pan!. They then hit us with nostalgia in piece As Summer Was Just Beginning, reminding us all of California’s warm summers as we shivered on our ways over. They then finished with a bang, their ending piece, Dawn of the Spartans, riling us up for the next group to come.
Next up was the Conservatory Ensemble, a group composed exclusively of sophomores. They started their set off with Spring River Fantasy, a beautiful piece that stayed true to its name. Next up was Horkstow Grange, a piece that reminded one of the deep green grass and endless rolling hills of Scotland. Their delightful set came to a close with their last piece, In Joyous Flight, a fast-paced piece that came to an end far too quickly for the audience’s liking.
Conservatory Ensemble was then followed by a quick intermission, giving the audience members a moment to stretch out their legs and grab a snack. When everyone came back, the night resumed with Symphonic Band, a collaborative group made up of Juniors and Seniors. They welcomed the audience back with the charming piece, American Riversongs, which was then followed by the ever so classic and refined Prelude and Fugue in Bb Major. They then left the stage with a bang, performing for the fast-paced piece In the Center Ring, leaving the audience with a strong lasting impression.
The night was coming to a quick close as the final group took the stage. Wind Ensemble, our school’s premier group, made up of a mix of Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors flowed out onto the stage, ready to bring this amazing night to a close. Their sound exploded through the room, igniting little fires of excitement throughout with their first piece Ignition. Next up was Allerseelen, a slow yet strong piece that captivated the audience with its grand crescendos and artful decrescendos. Finally, the night was brought to a close with the playful classic, Children’s March: Over the Hills and Far Away. This playful piece reminded the older audience members of their more youthful days of playing around in the warm afternoon sun. And with that, the two days of concerts that EVHS Band and Orchestra students had worked so hard towards for weeks had finally come to a successful close.
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