Watauga Community Band (WCB) preparing for Spring Concert
The WCB is excited to begin rehearsing in earnest for the Spring Concert after our recent spell of bitter winter weather. We welcome several students from Appalachian State, local high schools, and even middle schools who have joined us for the semester.
The band, led by conductor Billy Ralph Winkler, is still finalizing the repertoire.
Candidate works include:
“Variations on a Korean Folk Song” by John Barnes Chance with its eastern influence and challenging runs
“Concert Suite from Carnival of the Animals” arranged by Geoffrey Brand from Saint-Saens great work that musically depicts a variety of our animal friends, sometimes in a lilting tune and other times somewhat humorously
“Raiders of the Lost Ark Medley” transcribed by Jack Bullock from John Williams’ composition which will take you back a few years to imagine joining Indiana Jones on his quest
“Loch Lomond” – a peaceful work arranged by John McAllister with Scottish overtones
“Rocky River Celebration” is a beautiful piece by Kevin Townsend that varies from pastoral to rollicking
“The Great Locomotive Chase” by Robert W. Smith which has the band simulating the pulsating rhythms and associated sounds of a train picking up speed
“The Fairest of the Fair” by John Phillip Sousa and edited by Frederick Fennell provides the band a lively march to play
WCB’s Fall Concert: A Success Despite Helene
Most of the members of the Watauga Community Band were affected by hurricane Helene, some in quite challenging ways. We also had to shift our rehearsal space due to volunteer services and temporary housing being provided for hurricane victims at our usual location. We opted to cancel rehearsals, but after regrouping, we decided to plunge ahead and perform our fall concert on October 27th.
Despite the short notice, we had a great audience at Watauga High School. The band played a wide-ranging program that included marches, hymn tunes and folk songs, patriotic numbers, medleys from “Jersey Boys” and “Man of La Mancha” and a concert band rendition of “Africa”. We also hosted a cookie party afterward to celebrate the hard work of band members and get everyone ready for the upcoming holiday season.
In addition, we performed at the annual Veteran’s Day concert at Boone Mall on November 11th. As always, the event was well-attended and audience members cheered those that served in all of the different branches of the armed services. Everyone was touched by the sounding of the chimes eleven times (on 11/11) in commemoration of those who had fallen while representing our country.
We are now working hard on a slate of entertaining seasonal songs to play at our upcoming holiday concerts at Boone Mall. We hope to see you there!