Instrumental Concert Sets the Holiday Mood

By Stephanie Cheng

On Wed., Dec. 15, the SOCSA concert band and wind ensemble, under the direction of Steven Wade, and string and concert orchestras, under the direction of Sonja Hammad, performed their annual Winter Instrumental Concert in the Porthole Theater. The concert band’s program included a contemporary piece, “Novo Lenio,” and several carols, “Ding Dong Merrily on High” and “Christmas Pop Sing Along.” The wind ensemble also performed a selection of cheery holiday pieces, “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” and “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!,” in addition to “El Choclo (Argentine Tango).” Following intermission, the string orchestra took to the stage and played the opening and closing movements of the moving “Deerpath Triptych,” “A Christmas Canon,” and jaunty and spirited “Parade of the Wooden Soldiers.” The string orchestra was then followed by a string quartet performance. Next, the concert orchestra performed a program that included a distinctly rhythmic contemporary piece, “Time Piece,” and several holiday favorites, “Ose Shalom” and “Themes from ‘The Nutcracker.’” The instrumentalists gave a performance that was well-received by many of the friends and family who were in attendance. SOCSA Foundation president Martha Shimano commented, “The musicians performed exceptionally well. The concert orchestra’s ‘Time Piece’ was especially impressive, with the interesting, juxtaposing rhythms.” John Longerbone added, “The concert band really performed some fun selections. They played a stirring rendition of some holiday classics. The wind ensemble was excellent as well.” Wade stated, “The concert definitely was better than expected. It was nice sharing the spirit of the holidays with so many people.” Hammad said, “I felt this was one of our most musical performances. The advanced orchestra played musically, and our younger orchestra really rose to the challenge at this concert and played with so much passion. I was so proud to stand before them and hear the results of their hard work. A successful performance is a wonderful way to celebrate their hard work.”