Senior drum major Alberto Garcia conducts the symphonic band in "Washington Post" by John Philip Sousa. (Photo by Sydney Trieu)
Winter Concert showcases musical talent
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The auditorium erupted in a crash of sound as drumline took their positions; between the flurry of drumsticks and cymbals, the audience fell silent, entranced by the rhythm of the Winter Concert on Dec. 7.
The concert featured the novice, concert, and symphonic bands directed by Tammy Cognetta as well as the Matador drumline. The mixed choir and choir members, directed by Cecilia Revilla, also showed off their skills, with both performing in several numbers together.
“It was a pretty exciting experience with my peers because we got to show off what we were practicing on and our progress,” senior Lena Nguyen, a member of the mixed choir, said.
With a setlist including “Believe” from The Polar Express and “Once Upon a December” from Anastasia, Nguyen found that singing these songs was enjoyable because of her peers.
“Singing in a choir requires a group effort,” Nguyen said. “I liked the audience’s feedback because it boosted my confidence, and it prevented me from becoming a nervous wreck on stage.”
Freshman Elsie Wang, a clarinet player in the concert band, also shared similar sentiments, saying that because she was used to performing in concerts at Temple Intermediate and with the Marching Band, she was not nervous for the Winter Concert.
“I thought [the concert] was a great success; all the bands and choirs performed well,” Wang said. “It [felt] nice to perform Christmas music in front of people, though. There’s something about Christmas music that makes you [feel] happy and warm.”
Selections such as the classic “Jolly Old Saint Nicholas”, “Jingle Bell Rock”, and “All I Want for Christmas is You” added to the Christmas spirit; however, the performances of Michael Jackson’s “Hold My Hand” and John Philip Sousa’s “Washington Post” conducted by senior drum major Alberto Garcia clearly showcased bands’ talent.
In between the band and choir performances, the Matador drumline took to the stage, single-file, as the percussion reverberated throughout the entire auditorium. Junior Timothy Chuong and senior Derek Le both had fiery solos, the audience erupting into cheers after each one.
Overall, the concert was well-received. Marching Band also plans to host another performance before the semester finishes; on Dec. 15, the last day of school, the Coffee Concert will take place in the Quad.
