As the band’s winter concert has come and gone, have you ever wondered what the lead-up is like? Well, from my perspective and other band members, I’m here to tell you what it is like.
Typically, the band does around four pieces during a concert. This year’s pieces are “Salvation is Created,” “Toboggan,” “Sleigh Ride,” and “Into the Arctic.” We received all the pieces about halfway through October and have been working on them since. Our rehearsals typically begin by playing our opening number, “Salvation is Created.” The challenge with this piece is balance and making sure all of the sections sound good with intonation (accuracy of pitch). Our next one is “Sleigh Ride,” and our main challenge with this piece was that everyone knows this piece, it’s a holiday classic! So, we spent a lot of time trying to make it sound the same way that a professional orchestra would play it. Our next piece, “Toboggan,” is the most complicated out of the group. What makes it so technical is the rhythms, and also the starting and stopping times are not intuitive. What started out as incredibly difficult has come a long way, and the band feels proud to have tackled such a difficult piece. Finally, we would practice my favorite piece, “Into the Arctic”. At every concert, there is always one piece that the band loves, and this is that piece. With its loud, fast, and exciting parts, the band loves every time we play this piece.
Overall the lead-up has been filled with excitement and anticipation. It should be overall, a very good concert, sure to get everyone excited for the holiday season.
