The City College Concert Band wowed audiences with their annual Winter Concert. Sunday at the Garvin Theatre.
The house was an eclectic capacity crowd filled with a mixture of students, parents, siblings, senior citizens, and significant others.
The show started out with a bang as the band burst into an overture by Hayato Hirose that immediately grabbed the listener’s attention as it raised goose bumps on their skin. The piece would surely set the tone for the rest of the evening.
Director of Bands at Santa Barbara City College, Eric C. Heidner, led the band into a stirring composition entitled “Arcana.”
The piece began slow and somber lulling the audience into an almost trance and then boom, the brass blared as the song reached a high point. The song took you on a journey thru many different emotions. It conjured images of a civil war battlefield before, during and after conflict.
After briefly addressing the crowd, wrought with bad jokes, Heidner led the band in “Rocky Point Holiday.” This piece sounded very cluttered and busy. The percussion seemed random and sporadic while the woodwind section just sounded off beat. The best part about this piece was when it was over.
Next, Dr. Charles Wood, Heidner’s predecessor, took the reins to lead the band in a piece he composed himself entitled “The Fifth of November: The Gunpowder Plot.” This song is based on the events of British revolutionary Guy Fawkes.
Along with the Band, Music department Aide Donald Kruger acted as narrator to tell the story of Fawkes.
The piece was bouncy and repetitive while containing elements of other composers’ music. Kruger could barely be heard over the noise of the band and the song reached a trite finale as the band broke out into a rendition of “My Country Tis of Thee” followed by the audience being instructed to shout, “let freedom ring.”
The intermission came long overdue, as the concert, which started so well, seemed to be tumbling downhill.
But the night was saved by the second half of the performance.
The Band played a song based on the music of Nat King Cole, which was put together by the City College principle cornetist, Theodore Richey.
It was a wonderful reflection of the work of one of music’s best as the band played orchestral renditions of “Straighten up and Fly right” and “Unforgettable,” as well as numerous other tunes from the King.
“Nat King Cole: A Symphonic Celebration of Musical Life,” proved to be the night’s highlight.
Next, Krueger was brought back to the stage to narrate “Of Sailors and Whales,” by W. Francis McBeth.
This time Krueger only spoke while the band was silent so the audience could actually hear the words as he read excerpts from Moby Dick.
The piece had five parts to it an each was sure to send chills down the spine of each audience member. Especially the final stanza entitled “The White Whale” which clearly painted the violence and destruction of Moby Dick crushing the Peqoud.
The concert ended with a dedication to a recently deceased band member.
All in all the night was a mixed bag featuring both moments of brilliance and mediocrity.
It was a worthwhile experience that many types of people could enjoy.