The MVHS instrumental music department hosts its fall concert despite power outage
Band and orchestra showcase their Halloween-themed repertoire
Photo by Aditya Shukla | El Estoque
Despite the outage’s challenges, band and orchestra director John Gilchrist states that each ensemble’s performance was exceptional and was pleasantly surprised with their adaptability. He also says he looks forward to exploring new music pieces and constantly improving upon each previous concert.
October 25, 2021
Six different band and orchestra ensembles performed at the instrumental music department’s Halloween-themed concert on Oct. 22, conducted by music teachers John Gilchrist and Amy Young. The concert was held in the auditorium at 7 p.m. and admission was free for all guests with a recommended donation of $10 to MV Music Boosters.
The program began with String Orchestra’s performances of “Blue Ridge Run” by Alan Lee Silva and “Rosin Eating Zombies from Outer Space” by Richard Meyer, which featured screams from performers and squeaks from the string instruments.
Concert Band followed with its performance of “Haunted Carousel” by Erika Svanoe, but was interrupted in the middle of the song as the power went out. After setting up utility lights and using phone flashlights to illuminate the players’ music sheets, Concert Band continued with “Haunted Carousel” and performed its second song “Danse Bohemian” by Randall D. Standridge. Gilchrist was surprised by the outage, but states that the darkness fit the Halloween theme of the concert.
“It was just kind of an unexpected surprise that kept us on our toes,” Gilchrist said. “I think that it was important that we thought quickly on our feet, and I’m glad that there are people that stood up and offered to share the light with people. I think it made me even more engaged with the music.”
Principal Ben Clausnitzer announced after the performance that there had been a school-wide power outage, and that faculty would closely monitor the temperature in the room to ensure that it would not overheat.
Still without light, Symphonic Band performed their pieces “Unraveling” by Andrew Boysen Jr. and “Hypnotic Fireflies” by Brian Balmages, which concluded with the blinking of phone lights on stage to imitate fireflies.
The power returned just before Wind Ensemble’s performance, which included the songs “The Witch and the Saint” by Steven Reineke and “Mannin Veen” by Haydn Wood.
Chamber Orchestra followed with its pieces “Capriol” by Peter Warlock, playing 5 out of the 6 movements inspired by Baroque and Romantic styles, and “Incantations” by Richard Meyer.
The program concluded with a performance by Philharmonic Orchestra, a combination of Wind Ensemble and Chamber Orchestra members, which played “Night on Bald Mountain” by Modest Mussorgsky.
Despite the outage’s challenges, Gilchrist states that each ensemble’s performance was exceptional and was pleasantly surprised with their adaptability. He also says he looks forward to exploring new music pieces and constantly improving upon each previous concert.
“I’m extremely satisfied,” Gilchrist said. “I think that basically every group’s performance was their best run of the piece that I’ve heard, so I was really pleased to hear that, despite all the weird technical malfunctions that we had throughout the production. I think that it’s important that we don’t just stop here and we keep going, keep learning new reps and keep performing and adapting.”
