This year, Schreiber’s winter concerts features three orchestras, two choirs, and four bands. Although the audience only sees the final product of each ensemble’s effort, tons of work goes into each piece to create performances.
There are a total of three concert dates this year: the freshman concert on Dec. 10, which features all the freshman ensembles, followed by the String Orchestra, Symphonic Band, and Jazz Band concert on Dec. 15, and the Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Orchestra, and Mixed Choir concert on Dec. 17.
“I’m so excited for our concert. I can’t wait for everyone to see our hard work showcased. Each and every music group’s pieces are flawless, and we’ll perform together beautifully,” said freshman Julia O’Flanagan.
Many freshmen are excited to perform at Schreiber for the first time. With the freshman orchestra led by Mr. Matthew Grosso, the freshman band led by Mr. Shane Helfner, and the freshman chorus led by Ms. Amanda Johnson, the freshman ensembles have been preparing pieces for their performance since September. The upperclassmen are returning as the Symphonic and String Orchestras directed by Ms. Carly Clancy, the Mixed Choir led by Ms. Amanda Johnson, the Wind Ensemble led by Mr. Shane Helfner, and the Symphonic Band led by Mr. Aaron Prindle. Additionally, the Jazz Band, led by Mr. Christian Crawford.
Each music group has been preparing since the start of the school year and has selected various music pieces. Freshman orchestra, for example, will be playing three songs, one being an arrangement of Gloria, composed by Antonio Vivaldi.
“I try to choose songs that are engaging and fun to play. I also make sure they have valuable technical elements for the orchestra to learn. I’m super excited for my first high school concert as a director,” said Mr. Grosso.
Much of the behind the scenes work goes into these events so they are able to run smoothly.
The Tri-M Music Honor Society handles programming, organization and backstage help. They usher at each concert as well to ensure that even the little things go smoothly.
An exciting feature included at the end of the freshman concert is the joint performance of “Let It Snow”. The freshman band, orchestra, and chorus will sing and play the piece to get everyone in the holiday spirit by blending melodies and voices.
“This is a special feature because of the hard work and limited time the freshmen had to work on it. ‘Let It Snow’ is a classic holiday song, but the freshmen ensembles have only had a couple rehearsals to practice it all together. Despite the lack of practice compared to the rest of each ensemble’s pieces, they sound great together, and we can’t wait to share it with the audience,” said Mr. Helfner.
The third winter concert, consisting of the Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Orchestra, and Mixed Choir, will also have a similar special feature of a joint piece; they will be playing “Ode to Joy”. Schreiber alumni who have gone through the music program have also been invited to play in this part of the concert as well.
Each individual ensemble has their own special talents to display during their time to shine. For example, the Symphonic Orchestra, the audition-based orchestra of seniors, juniors, and sophomores, will be playing two separate pieces, one piece consisting of three movements.
The orchestra ensembles include four main groups of instruments. The violins play as the higher register instrument, the violas as a middle register instrument, the cellos as a low register instrument, and the basses as the lowest register. Most ensembles practiced with a metronome for rhythmic accuracy and with various technical practice books for improved technique.
The bands combine three levels of pitch with their various instrument groups. Within the upper woodwind sound, there are the flutes, oboes, and clarinets. Each section is known for their bright and smooth texture, and the variation they provide to the piece. The middle tone is made of the trumpets, the saxophones, and the horns. The trumpets are known for their brassy and powerful sound, and are often heard leading the band through melodic lines. The low sound consists of the trombones, tubas, euphoniums, and other low brass instruments. Their presence leads to a well-rounded and balanced sound. The percussion create a wide variety of sound and are fundamental to the rhythm and character of a piece.
The chorus consists of sopranos, altos, tenors, and basses, who each sing a different line of music depending on their vocal range. They extend a focus to projection and intonation.
“We’ve been fixing specifics in each piece to make it sound flawless for everyone listening. Each concert will be a great performance, and we hope to see the audience full,” said freshman Cadence Platt.