Review: Community Band’s Earth and Beyond

The Hill Country Community Band performed their final concert of 2021 last month, but thankfully, it will not be their last. With two concerts under his baton with the HCCB as their new director, Dr. Manuel Arambula had previously said that he wanted to take the band to a new level, and he has done just that. The November 20 concert was one of their better efforts in recent years. The program included several complicated compositions, which showed off how the HCCB has risen to the next level of performance excellence. The concert’s theme was “Earth and Beyond” and featured several popular songs including “Symphonic Suite from Star Trek”, “Come Fly with Me”, and Moon River”. John Philip Sousa was featured, as well, given that Arambula is a self-professed fan of that prolific composer. Referring to the November program, Arambula said, “The music was indeed challenggram, ing, but the musicians are so receptive to the challenges and eager to perform high quality band music.”

“Earthdance” by Michael Sweeney (2010) stood out from the other wellplayed pieces due to the band’s amazing technical execution of that riveting composition. Arambula said, “‘Earthdance’ was a hard piece for me to get acquainted with. I had to study it a bit more than the other pieces as it is a music piece with difficult tempo transitions and several moving parts that demand careful attention. ‘Earthdance’ would not have been successful without the hard work and artistry of our percussion section. They provided the sound effects necessary to make it happen, such as thunder sounds and the sound of the wind. In regards to the raindrops, thankfully the composer made it easy for the conductor. The raindrop sounds were made by the musicians snapping their fingers. In the music, the composer wrote as to how long the musicians should snap their fingers. This allows for the rain to be timed precisely. So in the music, the musicians were to snap their fingers for 8 counts. ‘Earthdance’ was one of my favorite pieces in the program. It reiterates the fact that there is no place like home, our planet, Earth. The piece contained a happy dance in the end and I couldn’t help to think how much we have to take care of our home.”

Being transported through musical exploration to Venus, Mars, and Jupiter, all while enjoying an afternoon concert in Wimberley, it can be said that the HCCB gave a stellar performance. Looking forward to their next presentation on Saturday, February 19…

To stay updated on future concert dates and for more information about volunteering with the Hill Country Community Band or making a monetary donation, visit the HCCB website at www.hillcountrycommunityband.org and follow them on Facebook.