Reprinted from the Scarlett Fever
By Benjamin Hilborn and Andrea Johancsik
To say that the Dr. E.P. Scarlett Band is “good” is an insult to them and the tremendous amount of work they put into the performance the evening of Thursday, Dec. 9. Every ensemble has been preparing for the winter show since October, during class and rehearsals before school. The evening was also dispersed with small, student-run ensembles. The groups had prepared songs themselves, and some decided on a holiday theme – four French horn players from Wind Ensemble even wore Santa hats and decorated their stands with garlands for a performance during intermission.
First to perform was the Chamber Choir, directed by Jonathan Bell. They performed the traditional Ave Maria, followed by a holiday song called “One For Frost, Two For Fire.” To finish the set, they performed their popular and talented chart, “Winter Song.” This features solos by Stephanie Perrault and Joy Barnet, as well as a string trio comprised of David Olmstead, Enoch Tseng, and the non-band-member, but nonetheless musically talented, Jocelyn Andruko.
The audience was treated to a very special performance when the percussionists all came out on stage twice during the night for two percussion-only songs. This was made possible by Mike Sackatch who, having recently retired from Lord Beaverbrook’s band program, was able to spend time with the players and prepare them for the performance. This type of percussion ensemble does not appear every year, but that did not stop the players from playing flawless performances that blew the audience away. The combination of a variety of instruments including xylophones, marimbas, and timpanis made for two pulsing, pounding, moving songs.
The Wind Ensemble was the next to perform, beginning with a traditional arrangement, “Toccata”, and followed by the winter favourite, “Greensleeves.” Their last song was a fast and challenging song that paid homage to the volcano, “Vesuvius”. After Intermission, the grade 10 Concert Band began with a march, “The Thunderer”. They then played the exciting “Abracadabra”, and ended the set with a soft and expressive “Silent Stands the Elm.”
Symphonic Winds concluded the evening, and their last song was the most fun of the evening. Having performed two songs already in uniform, it was surprising when the band members whipped out holiday-themed hats and decorations for their instruments to perform a Christmas medley. The percussionists became elves, trumpets were adorned with tinsel, and most exciting was the trombone section, who decorated their horns with antlers and Rudolph noses. The audience was thrilled when Santa came out to enjoy the concert!