Assignment 12- Claire Jicha

After the hour long rehearsal it got carefully taken apart and placed back into its case. Reeds all lined up in their case next to the hollow wood and metal of the rest of the instrument. With case locked the stands stacked and the room empty and dark, a lone call rings through the band room. The trumpet which had made the call slowly pushes the door to the storage room open. finding the room vacant it he releases a more confident note. Slowly more instruments push their way into the open band room. Soon echoing sounds of various timbres are bouncing around the room and the instruments arrange themselves into four semi- circles around a podium and stand, where a baton frantically waves trying to get the room in order.

once the room has been settled and the last lingering note has died down the baton begins to tap out a tempo on the stand. Slowly the winds enter a soothing ballad. The oboe flirts with the flute section, her vibrato cuing quick, high trills from the section. far too soon the ballad softens and ends.

Tapping the stand again, the baton starts a lively march with the brass. The trumpets and coronets push each other into a louder and louder dynamic until scarcely anyone else could be herd. The baton motions for the section to shut up and quiet down. Dejected they do so, grumbling and squeaking as they do. the low brass and reeds begin a quick run at the end of the trumpet soli, tripping over keys and valves as the high winds giggle thirty second notes around them. The tuba lets off a loud bellow to shock the winds into calming down. This unfortunately, only sends the trombones into hysteria, sliding amongst themselves in the way trombones do.

The baton furiously ends the piece and begins to admonish the entire band. With the batons temper having been subdued, the last piece of the night begins.

A quiet sonata, featuring bassoons and french horns soloing as the rest of the ensemble sustains beautiful minor chord progressions behind them. The haunting melody is traded back and forth, the ringing brass of the horn a soothing contrast to the bassoons majestic bellow that resonates through the room. with an echoing ring the piece is over and the instruments dismissed. They pack themselves back into their cases to await the next rehearsal.