Sharp, swift tunes simulating the sound of a train rushing by entertained the Andover community this past Friday evening at the Academy Bands and Ensembles Concert in Cochran Chapel. The Concert opened with the Academy Brass Ensemble, consisting of trumpet players Kate Shih ’13, Harry Wright ’14, Charles Van Eijk ’14 and Justin Stachtiaris ’13, comprising a group coached by Robin Milinazzo, Adjunct Instructor in Music. The Ensemble first performed Michael Stewart’s “Festive Fanfare,” a brief upbeat piece, followed by “Chorale.” Also composed by Stewart, “Chorale” was a slow and melodic piece that captivated the audience with its melancholic tunes. In contrast, the Wind Quintet Chamber Group performed a quick and cheery piece. Comprised of Catherine Liu ’15 on the flute, Joel Anthony Pena ’16 on the oboe, Joy Wang ’14 on the clarinet, Christopher Teng ’13 on the bassoon and Milinazzo on the horn, the Quintet performed “Lustig Mäßig schnell Viertel,” a piece from Paul Hindemith’s 1922 work “Kleine Kammermusik für fünf Bläser, Op. 24, No. 2.” The piece’s German title roughly translates as “amusing, moderately fast quarter.” It is an intricate, fast piece full of rises and falls in the tune and tempo changes, alternating between upbeat sections and tense parts. Following the Wind Quintet Chamber Group was the Academy Flute Ensemble, which performed Anne McGinty’s “Masques” with great emotion. Throughout the beautiful, melodic piece, David Benedict ’15 on piccolo and flutists Kayleigh Bishop ’16, Rosalyn Chen ’14, Julia Kim ’14 and Katherine Vega ’14 complemented each other’s playing. Performing next was L’Insieme di Martedi Sera, or the Tuesday Band, directed by Derek Jacoby, Instructor in Music. They began with Robert W. Smith’s “The Great Locomotive Chase.” The highlight of the evening, “The Great Locomotive Chase” simulated the sounds of a train and kept the audience on edge with its quick melodies and unexpected tempo changes. The piece held the audience’s attention with its swift, dramatic beginning as the rhythm traveled through sections of contrasting loudness, gradual silence and fast-paced crescendos. The Ensemble followed this piece with Giacomo Puccini’s “Nessun Dorma” from “Turandot,” a lush, beautiful piece arranged by Jay Bocook. Full of slow and solemn crescendos, “Nessun Dorma” complemented “The Great Locomotive Chase” by providing a similarly dynamic experience, but with a much calmer tone. The final performers of the night were the members of the Academy Concert Band, directed by Vincent Monaco, Instructor in Music. Their first piece, “All through the Night,” arranged by Sammy Nestico, began very slowly and built up to a soaring, peaceful and victorious climax. The band followed with “Jupiter,” a selection from Gustav Holst’s “The Planets.” The piece began quickly, with a series of notes in rapid succession, and soon became strong and powerful. By the end, the drums dominated the piece. The performance of “Jupiter” had an especially enthusiastic reception. The Concert Band concluded the evening with John Philip Sousa’s grand, elegant “Washington Post March.” Beginning with an abrupt, triumphant start, “Washington Post March” evoked a sense of grandeur. “My favorite piece was ‘All through the Night’ because it was written in a really great key for band, and the large chords and harmony made it really nice to play and listen to,” said Eden Livingston ’15, a member of the Concert Band. The ensembles had been preparing for the concert since the first day of school, and their hard work and dedication was clear. All of the pieces were performed skillfully and complemented each other well. “We chose pieces that contrasted in style, tempo, and difficulty,” said Jacoby. This diversity in selection helped make the concert a very enjoyable experience. “As a band, we always had really good rehearsals and everyone picked up their parts really well, so it was easy for the pieces to reach the point where they were performable in a concert setting,” said Livingston, one of the performers in the Band.
