A Thrilling and Chilling Wind Ensemble Concert

A Thrilling and Chilling Wind Ensemble Concert

Black lights, glow in the dark effects and partial instruments being played are atypical for a band performance, but were incorporated into the fall concert on Oct. 19. The concert was held at the Liggett Theater and was divided into two separate performances. Wind Ensemble 2 performed at 7 p.m. Wind Ensemble 1 followed at 8 p.m.

Walking into the theater, I was drawn to many unusual sights that were in keeping with this concert’s Halloween theme of “Thrills and Chills.” Wind Ensemble 2 entered, along with music director Jeremy Wuertz, with neon-orange sticky tabs above their eyebrows. The lights dimmed lower than usual, and small dot-like stand lights were illuminated, creating a mysteriously magical feel.

The performance began with a piece called “Music for a Darkened Theater.” This medley incorporated many iconic tunes from movies associated with Halloween, including “Tales From the Crypt,” “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” “Edward Scissorhands,” “Beetlejuice” and “Spider Man.” This piece was accompanied by a video medley that corresponded with the music.

Wind Ensemble 2 proceeded to play a piece called “Papercut,” which was complemented by black lights and glowing sticky tabs that seemed to mimic the eyes of a jack-o-lantern. Before any instruments were raised, there was a complete, eerie silence, which was erased by glowing paper being torn, crumpled, rubbed against the floor and pulled on either side. Eventually, instruments were played, but the piece also closed with these ominous paper-made sounds.

Wind Ensemble 2 concluded with a medley from “Doctor Who.” This incorporated the use of a Theremin, an electronic instrument controlled by the waving of one’s hand over a long rectangular surface.

Given the technological components of this program, it was beautifully executed by Wind Ensemble 2 and wowed the audience filled with proud parents and friends.

After a long intermission, Wuertz welcomed the Wind Ensemble 1 audience from the balcony in front of the sound booth with a “boo!” and a spontaneous monologue mirroring what is said in the stretch room of Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion. Wuertz even made a quick cameo of his Mickey Mouse voice (which as band students know, is spot on)!

They began with a medley called “House of Horrors” that included classical pieces used frequently in Halloween movies, including compositions by Bach, Gounod, Mussorgsky and Chopin.

Next, they played a suite from the “Harry Potter” series that also was accompanied by a video. As a “Harry Potter” fan, I found myself starting to get rather emotional during the medley, but was quickly distracted by the excited whispering of elementary school students sitting behind me who said things like, “I bet they are playing level 5s, like college level stuff! We only play level 2s. I can’t wait to play this kind of music!”

Then came perhaps the most crazy and wild piece of band literature I’ve heard. In a pitch-black hall and in the midst of a mysterious piece called “Voodoo,” students crept up the aisle ways flickering flashlights and making utterly wild noises with disassembled parts of their instruments.

Wind Ensemble 1 concluded their program with the famous, high-energy “Hall of the Mountain King,” by Grieg, a famous classical composer.

The audience was thrilled to hear the bands performing at a very high level, while incorporating an array of innovative, thematic Halloween features.