Wind Ensemble bids seniors farewell
Kris Miranda
Issue date: 4/20/07 Section: Arts & Entertainment
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"I don't know if you can tell but I'm really happy working with students," Director of Band Activities Eric Thomas said between pieces during the first half of the Wind Ensemble's spring concert. "You can force them to do all kinds of things," he added cheerfully. Music itself, it turns out, is just as capable of being manipulated. Not one piece the Wind Ensemble played on April 14 was originally written for such a group-one was originally performed on just keyboard; some were intended for strings-hence the concert name "Arranged for Band." The result was as fun as only a group conducted by Thomas can make it.
Alas, the Wind Ensemble also had to say its goodbyes to seven seniors. "I'm gonna miss all of you. Some of you more than others," Thomas quipped. "You know who you are."
Though all seven have of course been invaluable as trumpets, the twins Jennifer and Rebecca Anderson '07 were best-placed for a dramatic send-off. They did not disappoint. "Of course I fooled them into thinking that they had to play a concerto" for their last show, Thomas gleefully related. Thomas and the Andersons have been close since the twins were first-years "incarcerated" in Williams, where Thomas was then faculty resident. "It's been a tremendous amount of fun to work with them," he said before getting into further details about the preparation for this, their grand finale. "Everything, they disagreed on everything," an amused Thomas recalled, despite his understandable preconception that twins would think exactly alike.
In performance, of course, it was impossible to tell. Taking the lead in a Double Concerto by Antonio Vivaldi of "Four Seasons" fame, the Andersons demonstrated impressive deftness and speed (one would not think the trumpet designed for trills!) while sacrificing nothing of clarity, precision and volume. Neither half of the melody (baroque music is characterized in part by heavy use of counterpoint, and Vivaldi in particular is known for his skill with harmonic contrast) ever drowned out the other; each pierced the air beautifully and with equal vigor.
Alas, the Wind Ensemble also had to say its goodbyes to seven seniors. "I'm gonna miss all of you. Some of you more than others," Thomas quipped. "You know who you are."
Though all seven have of course been invaluable as trumpets, the twins Jennifer and Rebecca Anderson '07 were best-placed for a dramatic send-off. They did not disappoint. "Of course I fooled them into thinking that they had to play a concerto" for their last show, Thomas gleefully related. Thomas and the Andersons have been close since the twins were first-years "incarcerated" in Williams, where Thomas was then faculty resident. "It's been a tremendous amount of fun to work with them," he said before getting into further details about the preparation for this, their grand finale. "Everything, they disagreed on everything," an amused Thomas recalled, despite his understandable preconception that twins would think exactly alike.
In performance, of course, it was impossible to tell. Taking the lead in a Double Concerto by Antonio Vivaldi of "Four Seasons" fame, the Andersons demonstrated impressive deftness and speed (one would not think the trumpet designed for trills!) while sacrificing nothing of clarity, precision and volume. Neither half of the melody (baroque music is characterized in part by heavy use of counterpoint, and Vivaldi in particular is known for his skill with harmonic contrast) ever drowned out the other; each pierced the air beautifully and with equal vigor.
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