December 12, 2022 by Ciara Meyer (’23)
On December 7th and 8th, the Choraliers, Symphonic Band, Chamber Orchestra, and Jazz Band held their 2022 winter concerts. Saratoga Springs High School (SSHS) musicians brought joy to the world –or at least the audience–through a mix of holiday carols, dramatic classics, and one buddhist mantra.
The December 7th concert opened with the symphonic band, of which Lucia Birnby is a senior member. Birnby reflected positively on the event saying, “I think it went great! Obviously no concert can be perfect, but I think we did well and the songs we played were very fun.” The Symphonic Band’s setlist started with “The Chimes of Liberty,” a march composed by Edwin F. Goldman and arranged by Calvin Custer, and then transitioned to two slower pieces—“Joy Revisted” by Frank Ticheli, and “Seal Lullaby” by Eric Whitacre.
The classic image of a band filled with loud upbeat brass was countered by “Seal Lullaby,” a softer piece Birnby describes as “a super fun and easy piece to do.” The bands section closed with “Black Sails,” Birnby’s favorite tune, one she accurately calls “very pirates of the caribbean-esque.”
Coming immediately after the symphonic band were the Choraliers, SSHS’ audition-only choral group. Choraliers Secretary Clare Hegener described their set list as having “a lot of variety and a lot of different types of music. I personally liked how we did a mix of holiday celebration music, but also some non-holiday related music.” Three of the Choraliers songs were song in other languages—“O Magnum Mysterium” in Latin, “Gate Gate” which is written partially in Sanskrit, and “S’Vivon” in Hebrew—adding to the diversity of sound. The rest of the set list—“Frosty the Snowman,” “Carol of the Bells,” “Bidi Bom,” and “Hallelujah Chorus”—may have been in English, but the variety of themes and tones made each song sound distinct.
Hegener particularly enjoyed performing “Hallelujah Chorus,” for which the Choraliers were accompanied by the Chamber Orchestra. Abby Bundy—Chamber Orchestra President, first chair of the viola section, Fiddle Club President, and Tri-M Music Honor Society President—loved the collaborative nature of the song, saying, “it would be fun to do a three group collaboration in the future.”
The piece served as a nice transition into the orchestral part of the show. The first orchestra-only piece, “Day of Wrath,” was Bundy’s favorite. “It was an intense opening where I think all instruments were very featured. I think there was also an ominous feel and captured the audience,” said Bundy. Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture” was the group’s next piece—which featured arguably the loudest drumming of the entire concert. Ian Hancock’s performance on drums perfectly mimicked the overture’s iconic cannons, and definitely woke up any tired audience members.
The setlist also included “Quantum” and “La Cascara,” and concluded with “Wonder Woman,” which featured select members of the Symphonic Band. Bundy spoke highly of the band’s performance in the piece saying, “this piece was in a hard key for those band instruments so they did a great job.” It truly served as the cherry on top of the night, closing the concert with a collaborative bang.
The stage wasn’t empty for long, though, and on the 8th the Jazz Band—SSHS’ most advanced band group—performed “Along Came Betty,” “Limbo Jazz,” “Out of the Doghouse,” and “What is This Thing Called Love.” Anabelle Brueggemann, President of the Jazz Band, was pleased with the band’s performance, saying, “usually when performing live something goes wrong, but we managed to pull it off and everyone’s solos and improvisation was really great.”
The solos were particular highlights—in “Out of the Doghouse,” Brueggemann said, “Lily Cubanski had a sick saxophone solo that I always love hearing and she played it perfectly in the concert.” Brueggemann also enjoyed “Limbo Jazz,” a Hawaiian jazz tune that prominently features her instrument of choice—the trumpet.
For Brueggemann, Bundy, Birnby, and Hegener these winter concerts are a reminder of their fast approaching departures from SSHS, but they have full confidence in the future of the music department. “The underclassmen in jazz band never cease to impress me,” said Brueggemann. “To be a sophomore in the best band in the school is amazing and they should keep doing what they’re doing because it’s great.”
Bundy advises younger musicians to simply “come to rehearsal, practice, and always be open to suggestions” and to remember that music is meant to be enjoyed. “It doesn’t always have to be intense practicing of études, scales and technique,” said Bundy. “Those things are all important but remember to have fun too!” The sense of fun felt on stage is felt in the audience as well, with each new tune from the SSHS musicians filling the Lowenburg Auditorium with exciting energy and—of course—pleasant sounds.
For those who missed the December 7th and 8th shows, there are plenty more opportunities to support SSHS musicians. The Bel Canto Chorus and Symphonic Orchestra perform at the High School on the 14th; the Mixed Chorus, Concert Band, and Concert Orchestra perform on the 21st, and some musicians will be performing during the school day on the 23rd. Outside of school, members of the SSHS Fiddle Club are performing at The McKrells Christmas Show in Albany on December 17th.