As holiday music filled the air, Hillsborough ensembles showcased their talents Dec. 3 in the auditorium. The annual Winter Concert brought a festive feel to all audience members on the cool winter night. Spectators were left impressed with the great skill demonstrated by all participants that performed.
“Concerts are a moment where all the effort, focus and growth come together, and students get to share their music with family, friends and the community,” Clipperton said. “Watching their confidence grow and seeing the joy and pride on their faces, both on stage and after the performance, is incredibly meaningful.”
These pieces wouldn’t have been possible without the elements and preparation that went into playing them. Students have to rehearse during their class every day and focus on musical details in a piece, instrument fundamentals, and find an ensemble balance between each musician’s skill level. They played instruments ranging from the usual flutes, clarinets, French horns and saxophones to featured instruments such as the harp, string bass, marimba and slapstick to be able to accomplish a superb performance.
“Playing string bass for wind ensemble is really fun because there are a lot of unique parts and it fits into the ensemble really well,” said junior Annika Lambert-Smith.
Special parts in a performance are given to musicians who prove themselves to be the most disciplined and hard-working. Sophomore Hayley Becker, junior Brianna Gibson and senior Mannan Bhardwaj are just some of the students that were spotlighted with solos in their respective bands.
“For our concert a lot of preparation in class went into going over parts again and again until they sounded perfect,” Becker said. “Every day we went over sections and we all strived to add more to our already beautiful musicality.”
The band program’s upcoming events at Hillsborough include the Jazz concert on March 18, the Percussion Ensemble concert on April 15, the Small Ensembles concert on April 22 and the Spring Band Concert on May 6. These performances will provide the students with more opportunities to display their different abilities to play new music pieces.
