Fundraising Concert A Great Success
On Thursday, December 10, the Berkeley High School Concert Band and Orchestra performed their winter concert. They also held a silent auction raising money for their June trip to Los Angeles, where they will perform at the prestigious Walt Disney Concert Hall during the Los Angeles International Music Festival.
The first piece, called “Variation Overture,” was unexciting. They’d started later than I’d thought they would, so I expected something stronger. Only the wind section performed, making the piece too quiet and short with not enough emphasis or power. Despite its detriments, the piece was well–done, but only mediocre compared to the rest of the performance.
They definitely stepped it up for the second piece, Faure’s “Masques et Bergamasques.” The entire band came out, and from the start, they produced a far superior and a thoroughly more enjoyable performance. It was precise, accurate, and bright while showcasing the band’s professional skill.
The next piece was an impressive rendition of Bizet’s “L’Arlessienne Suite.” The band handled the massive, sequential crescendos with ease. They expertly went in and out of varied sections, from diving crescendos directly to soft, delicate measures. The band hit their stride with this vibrant piece which showed the best of their ability.
After enjoying a tasty mini–sandwich and brownie donated by friends of the orchestra during the intermission, I headed back in for the next half. After a few false starts and uncomfortable silences, it resumed. Despite the names of the last two pieces (“Danse Macabre” and “Orpheus in the Underworld”), only a few parts during the latter gave a dark atmosphere.
“Danse Macabre,” a Camille Saint Saens piece, was the most complex of the pieces. It started off softly, until the tension successively built and released. It seemed slightly schizophrenic at times but it was still enjoyable to hear the band nail every change. The intricacy of the piece seemed like a great display of the band’s accomplished skill and the audience found it entertaining.
The final piece, “Orpheus in the Underworld,” by Jaques Offenbach, was by far the most lively piece. It lunged between of dark, tense sections into light, moderate ones. The atmosphere would change just as the audience started to settle in to the current style. It was utterly amusing with all of its moods providing a new perspective on the piece as a whole. The solos were well done and the piece was a triumph.
Then, out of nowhere, the familiar tune of the Can–Can started. After a minute or two, teachers danced onto the stage, dressed in hilarious, bright outfits. The men were the wearing dresses and the audience was practically in hysterics.
At the end, it was announced that $4,400 had been raised in the auction. Everything from performance tickets to musical instruments to clothes and quilts had been auctioned off with many things being made just for the cause.
Overall, the Winter Concert was a great success. A lot of money was raised for their trip to Los Angeles and the Orchestra showed clearly that they’ll be more than ready for any and all future performances.
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