By Inaya Yusuf, Medha Garapati
Orchestra
(Credit: EVHS Yearbook)
Wind Ensemble and String Orchestra’s concert on October 19th was a great start to the year for band and orchestra students. The intense preparation of the roughly 30 students in orchestra, (which includes freshmen through seniors) and 55 students in wind ensemble (which was auditioned for) during class, homeroom, and before school clearly paid off. The concert was also successful financially, with all proceeds going towards lowering the cost of the group’s trip to New York City to perform at Carnegie Hall this upcoming spring break.
The wind ensemble and orchestra students performed several captivating pieces with varying tones and accompanying stories. For example, the wind ensemble played Cajun Folk Songs II by Frank Ticheli, which consisted of two movements, the first being a slower, gloomy ballad and the second being a more upbeat, country tune.
Wind Ensemble, conducted by Ms. Spieller
(Credit: EVHS Yearbook)
They also performed This Cruel Moon by John Mackey, a chilling piece “about pain and heartbreak from the perspective of Calypso, whom Odysseus encounters on his journey and stays with for like 8 years before deciding he wants to go back to his wife,” described senior flutist Kacey Yang. Ms. Spieller, EVHS’s band & orchestra teacher and director, agreed on the poignant tone of the piece, commenting that the listener “could hear the emotion and everything, and have words attached to what we were playing.”
One of the most notable pieces played by wind ensemble was Mother of a Revolution by Omar Thomas, which they will perform again on the Carnegie Hall tour. “It’s about the Stonewall Uprising and specifically honoring the trans women who really led that fight,” Ms. Spieller explained.
The orchestra played some marvelous pieces as well, such as Transylvanian Lullaby by John Morris and Allegro barbaro by Béla Bartók. Given the concert’s timing near Halloween, the track choices generally fit a “spooky” theme. For example, the orchestra also played Erlkönig by Franz Schubert, which they play each year for the Fall Concert. The piece narrates a haunting story “about a father and son riding through a forest, and an elf king is trying to take the son away. The song ends with the son dying,” recounted Ms. Spieller.
One sophomore summed up the performances: “Every part of the piece was played really well and all of our instruments sounded nicely together…Given the short amount of time we had to rehearse for this concert, it sounded really good!”
Overall, all performing musicians staged an outstanding show, and they’ve also cultivated an incredibly supportive community. Jennyilyn, a musician in the wind ensemble, remarked that EVHS has “a pretty solid music department. Many of the members are very dedicated and passionate as well as talented. They're willing to put the work into our pieces and practicing.”
Another musician agreed, saying “Everyone was very genuine and really involved,” as well as “positive and nice to one another.“ Kacey concurred: “The band community is really supportive and connected—everyone is willing to help you on a part you're struggling on, listen to your rants about random life stuff, and just have fun and make music together.”
Ms. Spieller felt similarly to her students, saying that their community is “very comparable to a sports team, or what I even say is it’s a years-long group project all together. A lot of these students have been in band together since elementary school so it’s a very connected thing. And I’m glad we’re cultivating that more here.”
One sophomore musician also commented on the music department’s success, saying “We have a diverse amount of bands and we are able to raise lots of money through our concerts,” ultimately thanking the audience for also making the concert possible.
Ms. Spieller similarly expressed gratitude to all attendees: “thank you to everybody on this campus who comes and watches, because we know the parents are going to come but it’s really cool when we see other teachers, other students, and everybody attend. It’s nice for my classes to get to perform for not just families, but to know there’s other people out there.”
After this wonderful performance, EVHS students, teachers, and parents can look forward to the upcoming Winter Concert series, which will take place from December 1st to 3rd.
“Everybody should come out to our concerts. Come check it out, see what cool stuff we’re doing!”
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