The Symphonic Band, Orchestra, and Choir have been hard at work preparing for the first concert of the year! The music has been thoughtfully chosen to be both enjoyable for the listener and strike a sense of purpose within the community, honoring our veterans. The concert has been a yearly tradition for many decades, and is free and open to the public, with great hopes that it will be attended by our honored veterans.
Lucas Ferguson is a senior at New Hartford holding the titles of Tri-M president and member of all three ensembles. He is highly engaged in the music community and, when asked about the concert, he stressed how the individuality of each ensemble came together to make something grand.
“The choir is unique– being able to mix voices of various octaves singing all kinds of themes that make it stand out like none other,” Lucas explained. “The orchestra– using techniques like vibrato and dynamics– shapes the music in the way that makes our selections extremely compelling and diverse. And finally for the band, the amount of various sections that we have playing different parts may seem strange on their own, but when they are all compiled together they just flow beautifully to make music that just hits the ear correctly.”
Preparation has been no easy endeavor, however, as the ensembles have been in what Mrs. Wilcox, the orchestra teacher at New Hartford, calls the “crunch period.” This time consists of only two months of preparation before the concert. Students have been very thoughtful in their practice, making sure to focus on areas of difficulty at home, and working to blend together with their ensembles in perfect harmony.
“I’m always impressed by students’ ability to prepare difficult repertoire to a level of mastery suitable for public performance in such a short amount of time, and this year is no exception,” said Mrs. Wilcox.
The performers hope the audience will keep expectations high and leave satisfied.
Leo Jiang, a senior in the New Hartford band, expressed his excitement over the concert through his description of “Brighton Beach,” a piece the band will be performing. While difficult to play, the song has a strong pulse throughout and works to tell a story which the band has worked tirelessly to bring out.
“It feels like a small piece of a musical, and then the band starts playing. The flow is really nice and it sounds great. The story of it is the best part,” says Leo.
The performers hope you’ll listen closely, as all the ensembles are excited to share the fruits of their labor.
Tri-M, the music honor society, will also be participating. They will be greeting and directing every concert goer, and selling raffle tickets for a music stand painted by Brooke Scarchilli with a patriotic Snoopy theme. All proceeds will be donated to the Feed Our Vets organization. These raffles have been very popular in the past so be sure to bring a few dollars along to participate.
The concert is to be held this Thursday November 7th at 7 pm in the James A. Meyer Performing Arts Center at Bradley Elementary/NH Senior High School. Enter through the main Bradley entrance to assure timely seating. Be sure to clear your schedule: the ensembles will be happy to have you. And remember to bring a few dollars for the raffle!
