The Bridgewater-Raritan High School honors band, the Wind Ensemble, performed at Pluckemin Church on December 18. They performed a variety of pieces that they had been preparing since September.
The pieces they played include “Fanfare pour Précéder ‘La Péri’” by Paul Dukas, “Ding Dong!,” “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” “Three English Madrigals” by Graham Bastable, “Salvation is Created” by Pavel Chesnokov, “Strange Humors” by John Mackey, “Chanson et Danses” by Vincent D’Indy and “Colonial Song” by Percy Grainger.
Some of these pieces were not played by the entire band; they were considered chamber pieces. This means that a small group of musicians demanded by the piece got together outside rehearsal times in school to practice their music. These groups then performed the music.
The song “Salvation is Created” was performed by both BRHS Wind Ensemble students and BRHS band alumni.
Bridgewater-Raritan High School band alumni attended this event to both perform for the students and promote donations for the Wind Ensemble.
The Wind Ensemble is planning to compete to gain a spot at a prestigious festival in Indiana. To do this, the students are required to perform in a recording session at Rutgers University in able to compete for this spot. The students are presently seeking donations to help cover the costs of the recording session, which is $2,000.
The Wind Ensemble’s next performance will be the high school’s Winter Band Concert on January 9.
