The Chaikovsky Meets Ellington concert was held at the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts that is based in San Diego, Canada. The event was held Friday, December 4, 2015, at 7:00 pm. The guest bands featured at the event included the Grossmont Symphony Orchestra and Master Chorale, as well as the Gaslamp Quarter Jazz Orchestra. This essay is a concert report for the occasion that offers a comprehensive review of the six songs that were performed during the event.
The songs performed during the event included the Jingle Bells song that was created by John Clayton and the Lo How a Rose E’er Blooming song produced by Bob Curnow. The third song was Angels We Have heard on the High song, sang by Rich DeRosa and the Greensleeves song sang by Greg Yasinitsky. The last two songs were Adeste Fidelis song, sang by Rich DeRosa and the Christmas Song sang by Chaz Cabrera. The music directors during the occasion were Randall Tweed and John Reynolds.
Jingle Bells
I considered the song as the most, well-performed song during the event. It was performed using instruments by a duo of two talented ladies; Emma Christie Foster and Jazmine Villalino. The band started the show with a hard-swinging take of the song. A trumpet from the back row trumpeter soared high above the other bluesy beats from the other members of the brass section. The saxophonist on the far left side of the stage summed up the performance with playful, entertaining touches. There were also suggestive smacks created by the team leader’s horn, which ushered in the mid-tempo voices of the two talented performers.
The band converted the spacious old hall into an eccentric but breathtaking venue of entertainment. At first, I was a little uncomfortable with the audience members sitting around me. The majority of them were parents and their little kids who appeared to be pulsating with joy because of the song. However, the amazing voices of the two singers accompanied by the beautiful sounds of the instrument made me sing along to the song. Jingle Bells is considered to be the traditional song for the Christmas period. The choice of the song as the leading track during the event reminded me that the Christmas festivities were just a few weeks away.
Lo How a Rose E’er Blooming
I know the German Language having stayed in Germany for six years during my childhood. One of my best Christmas carols at that time was the ‘Es ist in Ros entsprungen‘song that was later translated into English as Lo How a Rose E’er Blooming. I used to sing the song all the time during Christmas, and hearing it yet another time made me bubble with the excitement. I could not help it but sing along to the song despite the constant whistle from the persons behind me signaling me to lower my voice.
The band’s rhythm selection for the song was amazing. They appeared to employ the best music notes in every line of the song. Most of the instruments used when performing this song were guitars and keyboards. After the track, I felt that this song was good for learning balancing, intonation, and phrasing of songs. The performance of this song created a hushed emotion among all persons present in the concert. It was undoubtedly the principal reason the song was accorded a standing ovation after the band switched their instrumentals to the introductory beats of the next song.
Angels We Have Heard On High
Celebrating Christmas Day can never be complete without listening and singing this song. It is ranked among the top Christmas Carols of all time. The song that has a French origin was sung to commemorate the birth ceremony of Jesus Christ. The unique aspects of the song are that it narrates the occurrence of events during the birth of Jesus. The information can be attained in the Gospel of Luke, a chapter in the Christian Bible. The presentation of this song by the band in the concept was a good way of reminding the audience why the Christmas Day is celebrated.
The string instruments played by the band evoked a celebratory mood among the audience. The lead singer appeared to be lifting his scarf, which was adorned with Christmas colors and waved to the crowd. We all waved back in unison letting the singer lead us in singing the tracks of the song. The melodious tunes of the band made me keen on listening to the song, ready to jump into the chorus after every stanza had been sung. The song created an electrifying sensation to the audience as all persons, young and old chanted along the song.
The Greensleeves
It is a renowned English folk song and a favorite Christmas carol of all times. Not many people can deny that the song is still beautiful in today’s contemporary society. The first version of the song was created in the eightieth century by King Henry III for his future Queen Consort Boleyn. Nevertheless, the song took numerous versions over the years, which were mostly used to describe bawdy romantic tales of love. Today, it is one of the American society favorite Christmas songs with a large audience during Christmas celebrations.
As the soft beats from the band ushered in the song, there was a large bubble of excitement from the audience. During the event, the interplay between the orchestra and the leading soloist took an intimate veneer. They seemed to be more comfortable with each other, transiting from one stanza of the song to the other. The audience watched as if experiencing a magical phenomenon as the team reached the climax. It is at this point in the song when the soloist took the leading role and echoed triumphantly over the sounds of the orchestra. This magnificent closing theme created an element of glory from the entire audience of the band.
Adeste Fidelis Song
This is an Italian based song that means come all you that are faithful. It is a splendid Christmas carol that can be attributed to numerous renowned authors around the world, such as John Francis Wade (1786) and John Reading (1656). After its creation, the song was translated into numerous versions, English included. The applause that welcomed the song’s first stanza was amazing. It seemed as if the Orchestra members, the singer and the audience were bonded as they ushered in the Christmas festivals with this song. It was not a wonder that I found myself tapping on the floor with my foot singing softly alongside the band.
Instead of the four original stanzas of the song, the singer sang eight verses, from the modified version of the song. It seemed all the members of the audience in the room knew the lyrics of the song. The flowing melody of the band’s violins and the murmured sounds of the cellos in the background formed a sound similar to that found in the carnival music. The interplay of the sounds created by the instruments created an interesting dialogue, which made me very attentive to the song. This effect was enhanced in the last stanza by the sounds’ fugue-like entrances made by the orchestra. The sounds were from the cellos, then from the violas, and ultimately from the violins.
The Christmas Song
It is among the best Christmas songs in the United States. Originally, the song was subtitled as the ‘Merry Christmas to You’ song. It was originally authored by Bob Wells and his partner Mel Torme in 1945. Since then, the song had been modified and newer versions created. Due to its popularity over years, the song became adopted as one in the list of the best Christmas songs in the world. During the concert, I was impressed by the band when they chose to conclude the event with this song.
The performance of the song left everyone feeling that they needed more music for the occasion. The choice of the leading singer was also excellent. This is because I had attended two of Cabrera’s past concerts, and marveled by the exceptional singer. In addition, Cabrera impressed the audience with his astonishing skills as a saxophonist alongside being equally good on the piano. He showcased his prowess with the instruments after singing the song.
Conclusion
This musical concert was one of a kind, directed by two highly experienced directors, Randall Tweed and John Reynolds. I loved all the six songs performed during the event as they were performed by exceptionally highly talented singers. The site where the concert was being held was easily accessible, which complemented the large hall where the performances were made. The audience present at the concert included young kids, college students, and more mature adults. Christmas festivals are annual global celebrations that should be marked by a good selection of Christmas Carols. With the choice of songs performed during the event, I am ready to enjoy and celebrate Christmas this year.
