On Saturday evening, a group of 60 local musicians will share the gift of music with the Hillsdale community at the Hillsdale Community Wind Symphony Christmas concert.
The free concert begins at 7:30 p.m. at Markel Auditorium in the Sage Performing Arts Center. It will last approximately an hour and a half and will feature a blend of Christmas classics and other band favorites.
“We have a wide variety of pieces on Saturday,” said freshman flutist Grace Hertz. “Some Christmas music, some fast and exciting pieces, some slower pieces. Audience members definitely don’t have to worry about being bored ––our repertoire has a little bit of everything.”
Ayn Gates, a 12-year clarinet player and four-year member of the symphony, said the show would instill a wide array of emotions in the audience.
“Audience members should be ready to experience a broad spectrum of emotion during the concert,” she said. “We will be performing everything from gorgeous, soothing lullabies to peppy jigs to opera overtures to Christmas carols.”
Conductor Bob Livingston, who is a Hillsdale College adjunct professor and the music director at Lenawee Christian School, said the concert will feature seven or eight pieces, including songs by Leonard Bernstein and famous band composer Percy Grainger.
Linda Dunlop, a retired schoolteacher who plays flute in the symphony, said the audience will enjoy “A Christmas Festival” by Leroy Anderson, as it includes “all the Christmas favorites.”
The symphony, which was founded in 2002 by Livingston and is supported by the college music department, practices for two hours every week during the school year. Students can participate for class credit, but the group is open to all musicians in high school and older.
“It’s a very interesting and fun mix,” Dunlop said. “There are college kids there for college credit and high school students from the county. We have music majors from Michigan State University that are out in the business world but come down from East Lansing every week. There’s even a foreign exchange student. I think she’s from Japan, and she comes with one of the high school students.”
Dunlop brings someone to practice every week as well.
“I’m with the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, and I have little sis who is ten years old, and she sits right next to me at practice and is learning so much, which she never would have before,” Dunlop said. “I’m thankful the program exists on so many levels.”
Dunlop is thankful for the community symphony because it allows her the opportunity to hone her musical skills and form new friendships.
“I can still play as good as I played back in high school, and the only reason is because I can keep up with it on a weekly basis. If I didn’t have this opportunity I would have lost my skills,” she said. “Not to forget the camaraderie and friendships I’ve formed. Also, I’m always learning from others. I’m sitting next to a music major from MSU who in five minutes can teach me some great skills.”
Livingston agreed that the unity of the symphony is one of its strongest assets.
“My favorite part is being with all those people who love to play and make great music. It’s better than a family because we don’t treat each other badly,” Livingston joked. “It is like a family because every week someone’s teaching someone something to make them a better player. In most competitive college situations, there are people walking around the classroom to see what you’re practicing to do better than you. Here it’s a very friendly atmosphere.”
The Hillsdale Community Wind Symphony invites students, faculty, and community members to catch the Christmas spirit which they cultivate among each other every time they get together to play.