The first two weeks of December featured two concerts by the Jesuit Ursuline Ranger Band and Men’s Chorus. Full of festive fun and holiday cheer, the concerts were fun nights for anyone. Shifting from Marching to Concert, the Band began full time Concert band rehearsal on November 13. The first concert was at Jesuit’s Terry Center, and the second concert was at Ursuline’s Theater. Christmas season is a special time for the JURB, the magical chords and iconic melodies inspiring cheer in early morning rehearsals. This was the 40th annual Sounds of the Seasons Christmas Concert, a crowning achievement for the band.
Building off of their early success this season, JURB ends with the TPSMEA State Marching and Drumline Contest in late October. This year, the band received superior ratings and placed 4th! Also, JURB received a visual award for having outstanding visual appeal. It
“The directors were extremely proud of the band’s performance at the State Marching Contest this year.  Not only did they earn the highest rating of ‘Superior,’ but the band also earned ‘Best Overall Visual Effect,’ which means everyone was in synch and on point! Drum Line’s performance in the standstill was also fantastic as they earned the highest rating of ‘Superior.’ Bravo!” – Mr. Putnam
With the culmination of marching season, the band played at the rest of the playoff games, but started their transition to concert mode.
Preparation and Rehearsal
Music
This year, The directors selected 5 pieces for the band. “Nutcracker Suite” by Tchaikovsky/Lavender, “Santa the Barbarian and the Pirates of the North Pole” by Standridge, “Concert Suite from The Polar Express” by Silvestri and Ballard/Brubaker, “Holiday Favorites” by Emerson/Lavender, and “Sleigh Ride” by Anderson were their selections. All of these works have fun charm and are enjoyable to play. My favorite was Polar Express. Its majestic melodies and iconic chords make it feel like Christmas. At the December 5 concert, JURB played all five pieces. However, December 10’s performance only allowed time for Polar Express, Nutcracker, and Sleigh Ride. One other piece exclusive to Jesuit’s concert was “Pat a Pan” by Davis/Smith. This was a percussion ensemble, meaning it was played with about a dozen different instruments solely from the percussion section.
Rehearsal
With little time to rehearse before the big performances, rehearsals were packed with sectionals, run throughs, and lessons; a hectic few weeks that payed off. Since many of the pieces are iconic, household tunes, it was imperative that every note, articulation, and dynamic was on point. The long rehearsals payed off, the band played very well at the concerts.
December 5
This concert was not a first for JURB, but hadn’t been done in a while. For both sophomores and freshmen, this was their first band concert in the Terry Center. The performance was filled with fun songs by both the Men’s Chorus and Band. One of my favorite parts of this concert was the sing along, people of all ages, kids through grandparents were singing to the iconic melodies of “Jingle Bell Rock,” “Silver Bells,” and many others. The Terry Center was filled with the Christmas Spirit. The concert was a fun night, and I was happy to be a part of it.
“I love starting my celebration of Christmas with the music of the season. The performance of the Polar Express Suite was one of the best performances of that piece I have heard anywhere. My congratulations to the men and women of our band” – Mr. Earsing
December 10
This concert had less performances by the band, but more music was played overall. At this event, all of Jesuit and Ursuline’s music programs performed: band, men’s chorus, string orchestra, and UA’s choir. The newly completed theater at Ursuline is a wonderful performance venue, and it was exciting to perform under the bright lights and formalities of a stage. An interesting challenge of this performance was space. At Jesuit, all of the large percussion instruments could be brought and placed in the Terry Center, but this didn’t work at Ursuline. Since the stage was shared with two other ensembles, the band had to pack lighter. Challenges aside, this concert was special in that it was both entertainment and a performance for the music students. Mr. Putnam had this to say:
“The band, orchestra, and Men’s Chorus all had magnificent performances this past week. With many concerts in seven days, the students delighted the audience each time and really brought out the Christmas spirit. We are also so thankful for all the support not only from parents but for the many faculty and staff that attended the concerts.”
Looking Onward
After a week of busy concerts, band winds down for the year. With so many successes and good memories behind us, as well as many exciting future events, I realize just how fulfilling music can be. Music is something everyone can appreciate, as well as a beautiful form of art. The directors and students have worked so hard to make the Jesuit Ursuline Ranger Band sound great, and they deserve all of the awards they won this year.
Next semester, many exciting opportunities await the band. Stay tuned to the Jesuit Roundup for more Jesuit music coverage!
If you play an instrument or would like to be part of music program, email Mr. Putnam so the directors can find a spot for you!
All photos credit David Fitzgerald.
