Band and orchestra students played an array of spooky, seasonal pieces at this year’s Hauntcert on Sunday, Oct. 22 in the Brown Auditorium.
Dressed up in their Halloween costumes, the orchestra played five songs, while the band played six. The band and orchestra played two symphonies together: “Mission Impossible” and “Dark Adventure.”
“For both Band and Orchestra, a major challenge was feeling the crunch of limited rehearsals,” Mr. Russell Vogt, band director, said. “Hauntcert fell a week sooner in the school calendar. In addition to that, September and early October had a number of school holidays and special schedules, which led to not seeing our groups on many consecutive Mondays. It was a challenge, but we were able to pull off a great show!”
The orchestra students took about six weeks to learn their pieces and the band students took three to four weeks.
After watching the performance, freshman Felix Riley talked about how he recognized some of the songs, mostly the licensed ones.
“I also knew some parts of songs that were included in the symphonies,” Riley said. “I think it was really good. I liked hearing both the orchestra and the band.”
Students dedicated their time to practice for the performance, and some spent time outside of school to prepare for the show. Senior Patrick Riley played a solo on his guitar during the piece, “Black Magic Woman.”
“I usually try to practice for one hour two nights a week,” clarinet player and freshman Mary Silva said.
Mr. Vogt said both the Orchestra and Band had great selections of music.
“It is always stressful in the weeks leading up to a performance and directors worry whether or not the groups will be ready,” he said. “This year was no different, but I feel our students performed very well.”
