The saxophones whistle, and the clarinets glisten, and the percussionists bristle. Whispers slip through the crowd like wind through the plains. The countenances of the band are calm and steady, and the conductors steel themselves. School President Michael Earsing addresses the crowd and cracks a few jokes with them, and then Band Director Zane Crownover does the same. Then, it begins.
On Tuesday, December 6th the Jesuit-Ursuline Ranger Band played at its annual Christmas concert in a packed Terry Center. The band played 5 songs: Celtic Carol, Polar Express, Midnight in Bethlehem, Sleigh Ride, and finally, they played a compilation of Christmas songs that the crowd sang to. It was a great performance, with the band showing off the long hours of work that they had put in since the end of the football season in early November.
The instruments hummed with a beautiful precision, and all of the band members were in sync with each other. As the concert continued, the band eased up, and played with a looseness that helped their playing. The audience sang with intensity, and the ensemble had all smiles at the end.
Afterwards, I asked the band directors their opinion of the bands performance.
Question: “There was a short turn-around between the end of marching and the concerts. How did you deal with that?”
Zane Crownover: “We thought the band did a really good job turning around. We have to rehearse marching band and Christmas simultaneously during the playoff season.”
Q: “How did this concert compare to past concerts?”
Donovan Putnam: “I think the level that we have been playing has been up there with our previous concerts. With our unity, everyone buys into playing a great concert. Evidence of that is that the faculty and parents told me that they loved the concert.”
Q: “What do you think of this year’s band?”
ZC: “We both think that this is one of the most talented, and also have the best attitudes, and the culture of the band is at an all time high. The senior class in particular has really nurturing attitudes, and that makes band enjoyable for not just the students, but also the directors.”
I also caught up with the band chaplain and clarinet player Michael Miramontes ’18 on his opinion of the concert and the band in general.
Q: “How did the clarinets do in this concert?”
MM: “The clarinets performed excellently, and I’m proud of the freshman for stepping up to the challenge.”
Q: “Would you recommend band to freshman? Why?”
MM: “Yes join the band. Band gives you a lot of life lessons that you don’t get in a lot of other [activities].”
Overall, the band played remarkably well for a group that had less than a month to play this music due to the length of the football season, and each player has something to be proud of this year.
