When I was keeping a blog called "Issues in Education," I started a series called "Charmed Evenings" to recount the glories of homegrown entertainment (as opposed to Hollywood) and also to highlight the amazing accomplishments of Christian schools.
This past Monday evening a fairly sparse crowd were treated with a sound experience that was exquisite and rare. The instrumental music programs of Pusch Ridge Christian Academy and Desert Christian High School combined talents for an hour of select music under the tensile structure of the amphitheater at Pusch Ridge. This made a spectacular outdoor venue for the concert. And it was the perfect time of year for an evening event in the amphitheater; the six PM hour gave us all the light we needed without any of the usual desert heat. Set against the breathtaking background of Pusch Ridge itself, the hour long concert was a feast for the soul, combing both auditory and visual stimuli in a celebration of God's creative goodness!
Band members from both schools had been rehearsing the same music for some weeks, and then spent Monday afternoon blending together under the direction of PRCA band director Pam Reed and Desert instrumental teacher Cindyrae Stang. The three band selections provided variety and delight, and were skillfully performed. The audience joined in clapping along with some of the spirituals on the first selection, Celebration of Spirituals. Mrs. Stang directed The Mikado, which featured some percussion effects unique to Asian music. The finale for the band, Dragons Fly on the Winds of Time, was simply stunning. Directed by Pam Reed, the piece gave us an imaginative (and musically challenging) trip to a fantasy world where forces of good and evil clash on an epic scale, and virtue triumphs!
The evening concluded with several selections by the Desert Christian Handbells. Fresh from a trip to Disneyland, the bells rang two excellent Disney arrangments, Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King. Their variety of music displayed all the techniques which make bell music so delightful: table damps, shakes, vibrato, malleting, and plucking. My favorite selections were the two hymns: O, the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus and Christ the Lord is Risen Today.
It was a charmed evening that even those who would not normally think of going out to a concert would have enjoyed. We should be thankful to live in a city with two excellent Christian high schools. And it was great to see Dove Mountaineers Cindy Vos, Wade Remer, Mel Melvin, and Cathy Strong in attendance.
I heard "Dragons Fly on the Winds of Time" at the Brewer, ME All-City Band night -- the High School band played it, and I agree with your characterization of "stunning". :-)
ReplyDeleteI wish my community band had enough percussionists to pull it off.