Standing at attention and resolute in the cold wind, the Jesuit Ursuline Ranger Band members undertake their daily practice in Postell Stadium for their annual marching show, which they perform at every football game and marching competition of the year. The loud percussion and bold brass ring out in the early hours of the day, an odd sound to hear at seven in the morning. However, just miles away down the road, another excellent, much tamer music program practices for a performance of its own.
It’s the early morning, and a light shines in the music building at Ursuline Academy. Numerous students from both Jesuit and Ursuline arrive to read and perform notes only a trained musician would understand. Sitting down, patiently tuning their string instruments as the appropriate notes ring out in the theater, the Jesuit-Ursuline Chamber Orchestra students prepare for their concert during rehearsal.
If you happen to be around Ursuline Academy at 7 a.m. on a Tuesday or Thursday morning, you’ll find the Ursuline Jesuit Chamber Orchestra beginning their rehearsal of different music, ranging from movie scores to 19th century compositions, from James Newton Howard to Vivaldi of the Italian Baroque.
Since the early years of both of the schools’ existence, the orchestra has grown in both size and demographics. Taught by Donovan Putnam of Jesuit and Jane Chambers of Ursuline, the course has grown from a small collective of only  Jesuit students to a substantial amount of approximately 40 students from both Jesuit and Ursuline. In addition to Jesuit and Ursuline students the orchestra has reached out to include musicians from Cistercian and The Cambridge School of Dallas, both lacking enough students for their own orchestras.
Unlike the marching band’s loud and energetic pieces, the orchestra specializes in concert selections that range in style from exciting and suspenseful to calm and peaceful. In addition to the brass, woodwind, and percussion sections, the orchestra by definition includes a sitting, string section, a stark difference from a marching band.
According to violin player Patrick Joseph ’15, “Orchestra is a great experience because for one, I get to play and perform music, which are two of my passions. I also love it because we cover numerous genres of music ranging from Baroque period composers like Vivaldi to modern-day film scores from movies like The Hunger Games, and many others in between.”
Zoë Nash ’14, a senior at Ursuline Academy and Color Guard Captain for the Jesuit Ursuline Ranger Band, divides her semesters by participating in both music programs: with band in the fall and chamber orchestra in the spring. A seasoned pianist since grade school, Zoë explains her love of music, saying, “I started playing early on in elementary school so it’s honestly pretty difficult for me to imagine a life without it. Music has become such a huge part of my life. I play the piano to clear my head, to create something, and simply to express myself. I encourage everyone to learn to play an instrument of some sort just so they can have that experience, even if it’s the recorder. Music is freeing in that way.”
In addition she has been a part of the orchestra since her freshman year, and she spoke of her experience with orchestra: “It’s a great way for me to do what I love with others and just meet new people, too. Since we don’t receive grades for the practices, contests, and concerts, you can tell that everyone in orchestra is there because they really and truly love playing in an ensemble and are more than willing to manage their time outside of school and make the commitment. I can confidently say that orchestra is an organization that I am proud to be a part of.Being a part of orchestra opens to door to so many great opportunities like TPSMEA [Texas Private School Music Educators Association] competitions and All-State groups. We make do with what we have and we’re grateful for the time we do get to spend together.”
The bonds and friendships made within a group that shares a common passion and interest are something to be taken into consideration. Zoë noted this and states, “It’s amazing being a part of something where everyone is as passionate about music as you are. I’ve found some of my best friends in orchestra, and I’ve met people I wouldn’t have gotten to know otherwise. I know that I can always count on being able to find a friendly face in orchestra, even if it’s at a 7 a.m. practice on a cold, dreary Tuesday morning.”
In addition, Patrick Joseph ’15 said, “When you’re in any group, there’s a connection created between yourself and the other people. Since we have practice in the morning twice a week and the concerts, you get to know those people and how much they love or hate being in orchestra, regardless of their grade since we all do share the same experiences at rehearsals.”
The Ursuline Jesuit Chamber Orchestra is just beginning their concert season with the joint Christmas concert, accompanied by the Ursuline Choir and Jesuit Ursuline Ranger Concert Band.
Be sure to catch the “Sounds of the Season” Christmas concert featuring all three music programs, the Jesuit-Ursuline Chamber Orchestra, the Jesuit Ursuline Ranger Concert Band, and the Ursuline Choir on Sunday, Dec. 15 at 7 p.m. in the Ursuline Center for Performing Arts!
For more info on this enriching program contact Donovan Putnam (dputnam@jesuitcp.org) or Jane Chambers (jchambers@ursulinedallas.org).
