WGI Temecula Regional Review 3.30.08
Riverside Community College - 95.4, 1st Place
Riverside, CA
Riverside Community College’s program, City of Light, takes us back to the era of silent films, where Charlie Chaplin was a legend in the making and silent movies were the entertainment craze of the day. The title also refers to the name that was given to Paris for its collection of art and culture, but in this case it is also filled with street performers, pickpockets, mimes, jugglers, and other eccentric characters. The show opens with a film reel starting up and the central character - a tourist - makes his way through the opulent city, only to be pick pocketed by people he assumed were trying to help him. A storm occurs and the battery uses umbrellas to create an arresting visual effect. The music intensifies in terms of speed and volume, leading to a bold statement from the snare section. The journey continues after the conclusion of a mesmerizing tenor feature, where we find our tourist in a train. The bass drums create the effect of a train engine starting as the front ensemble layers with complex rhythmic patterns. Nestled in the back corner, the snares play passengers on the train reading their newspapers as the bass drums performed one of the most engaging features of the entire day. The front ensemble followed with their feature, leading to a battery feature where lines intersected as the volume ascending to deafening levels. With the pronounced sound of the train engine’s distinct whistle, the closure of this segment led to an amusing juggling section. Tossing a series of bowling pins into the air with refined skill, the front ensemble provided a suitable soundtrack to this relaxed moment. It concluded with the juggler tossing one pin high into the air, catching it and taking a bow for his work. The following section was a stunning combination of solos and ensemble features. Imagine street performers fighting for attention, each trying to up the ante in order to earn money for their talents as tourists pass by. During this section, the film reel sample came into play once again, except the ensemble continued to play their parts but in absolute silence. In the closing moments of the show, the ensemble showed a bit of humor as they poked fun at themselves - you have to see what they do for yourself for the full effect - while playing an unbelievable amount of notes. The show ends with the tourist picking up an umbrella and walking off towards the distance while the rest of the ensemble waves goodbye.
Riverside, CA
Riverside Community College’s program, City of Light, takes us back to the era of silent films, where Charlie Chaplin was a legend in the making and silent movies were the entertainment craze of the day. The title also refers to the name that was given to Paris for its collection of art and culture, but in this case it is also filled with street performers, pickpockets, mimes, jugglers, and other eccentric characters. The show opens with a film reel starting up and the central character - a tourist - makes his way through the opulent city, only to be pick pocketed by people he assumed were trying to help him. A storm occurs and the battery uses umbrellas to create an arresting visual effect. The music intensifies in terms of speed and volume, leading to a bold statement from the snare section. The journey continues after the conclusion of a mesmerizing tenor feature, where we find our tourist in a train. The bass drums create the effect of a train engine starting as the front ensemble layers with complex rhythmic patterns. Nestled in the back corner, the snares play passengers on the train reading their newspapers as the bass drums performed one of the most engaging features of the entire day. The front ensemble followed with their feature, leading to a battery feature where lines intersected as the volume ascending to deafening levels. With the pronounced sound of the train engine’s distinct whistle, the closure of this segment led to an amusing juggling section. Tossing a series of bowling pins into the air with refined skill, the front ensemble provided a suitable soundtrack to this relaxed moment. It concluded with the juggler tossing one pin high into the air, catching it and taking a bow for his work. The following section was a stunning combination of solos and ensemble features. Imagine street performers fighting for attention, each trying to up the ante in order to earn money for their talents as tourists pass by. During this section, the film reel sample came into play once again, except the ensemble continued to play their parts but in absolute silence. In the closing moments of the show, the ensemble showed a bit of humor as they poked fun at themselves - you have to see what they do for yourself for the full effect - while playing an unbelievable amount of notes. The show ends with the tourist picking up an umbrella and walking off towards the distance while the rest of the ensemble waves goodbye.