Holiday Concerts on December 2 and 16
Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without music. Hear the holiday spirit ring by attending two performances of Christmas favorites by the Watauga Community Band. Join us to listen and sing along at Watauga High School’s auditorium on Tuesday, December 2nd at 7 pm and at Boone Mall on Tuesday, December 16th at 6:30 pm.
The program includes seasonal favorites like “Christmas Festival” by Leroy Anderson and “A Canadian Brass Christmas” arranged by Luther Henderson, both of which combine several familiar tunes into intricate melodies.
The band is excited to also play “The Nightmare Before Christmas” from the original music that Danny Elfman composed for Tim Burton’s film. You’ll enjoy the intriguing, and sometimes strange, melodies in this work by one of Hollywood’s greatest composers.
Of course, the band will play “Sleigh Ride”, also by Leroy Anderson. The percussion section stays busy during the song, — you’ll hear the whip crack and the sleigh bells jingle.
The performance will include traditional Christmas carols as well as pop favorites. We invite the audience to sing along.
Recent Band Performances — Fall Concert and Veteran’s Day
During its Fall Concert on October 26th, the band was honored to play “The Great Gate of Kiev” in appreciation of the diligence and bravery of the people of Ukraine in their ongoing war against the invading Russian troops. The composer, Modest Mussorgsky, wrote the piece as the exhilarating finale of his “Pictures at an Exhibition”, a well-known and popular work around the globe.
The band will performed “The Light Eternal”, composed by James Swearingen. This powerful work was written in honor of four U.S. Army Chaplains from different faiths who sacrificed their lives during World War II. Elements of the piece are based on a hymn – “God Of Our Fathers.” The many moods of the work are both heart-wrenching and inspiring.
As a change of pace, the concert included “Mambo” from Leonard Bernstein’s “West Side Story”. The band’s percussion section was quite busy with the usual combination of instruments, along with congas, bongos, marimba, ratchet, maracas, and even a brake drum. In keeping with the dance theme, the band played “Samba for Flute” by Eric Osterling. The song featured the flute section, of course, and soloist, Jesse Winkler-Hall.
The band also performed during the Veteran’s Day commemoration at the Boone Mall. We were inspired to support our many members of the armed forces both in the audience and elsewhere.