powerline

Jan 12, 2005 11:50

(i had to take out last names last time i typed this up so i just left them out. you know who everybody is though.)

The choir, band, and orchestra Christmas concert this year was mixed success, according to choir and band member Bonnie L----.

The musicians spent the first three class periods of the day, December 16, hard at work. Many of the songs performed at the concert included musicians that did not have classes together and, because of scheduling conflicts, had very limited after-school practice time.

While the band was rehearsing, a pin on L----’s trumpet broke, making it impossible to play. She joked that her trumpet always broke the day of a performance, alluding to a marching competition last year, when a cork fell off as the band was marching onto the field. The cork was hastily replaced with a piece of gum.

For the rest of the morning, L---- played on fellow trumpet player Thad G----’s trumpet, who had an appointment and was not at school. Worried, band director Teresa R--- asked if anyone had an extra trumpet at home. Tony S---- volunteered his younger brother’s instrument, but then he remembered that he would not be going home until after the evening performance. He asked Mary P-------, trumpet player and neighbor, to bring the instrument that evening. P-------had some difficulty contacting S----'s brother, Tim, but she finally did and brought the trumpet to the concert for L----.

However, the younger S----'s trumpet was only partially working. P------ volunteered to use Tim S----'s trumpet and lend her working trumpet to L----. While S----, G----, L----, and P------- accompanied the choir’s “Jazz Gloria,” P-------fought with sticking valves.

Another instrument exchange occurred before the chamber strings began. While L----, P-------, and S---- stood behind the string players, L---- was holding Alex H---'s trumpet; S---- and P------- had their own. The first song performed with the full orchestra, “All is Calm,” went without problem. Next, the orchestra performed “The Christmas Song.” After playing a few bars of the song, the second valve of H---'s trumpet stopped working. While it was a minor problem, L---- became flustered, realizing this was her senior year and she had a solo later in the song. During a period in the music when the trumpets were not playing, P------- quietly asked L---- if she would like, yet again, to exchange instruments. L---- agreed, and the girls quickly removed their mouthpieces and swapped trumpets. L---- played her solo beautifully on P-------'s trumpet. P------- finished the song on H---'s trumpet.
When L----, P-------, S----, and other members of the full orchestra walked back to sit with the band, all of the trumpets were returned to their owners, except L---- played Tim S----'s trumpet. The band began to play its first song, “A Celtic Christmas.” Toward the beginning of the song, P------- sent word to L----, who was sitting three or four chairs away, asking if she would like to switch instruments one more time. “It was her senior year,” P------- said, “and Tim’s trumpet was really bad.” L----'s initial reaction was to shake her head, but then she removed her mouthpiece and passed her trumpet down. She finished the concert with P-------'s trumpet, and P------- finished the concert with Tim S----'s trumpet.

“I’d like to say we played a game called ‘Musical Instruments (But Keep Your Own Mouthpieces),’ but it was more panic than anything else. Bonnie was really nervous. The trumpet section, we’re a family, and I didn’t want a trumpet messing up her solo,” P------- said.
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