Valley’s band program finished off 2024 with their winter concert the evening of Dec. 12. Led by Band Director Megan Stallings, the concert featured United Sound, the jazz ensemble and the concert band — as well as a surprise appearance from Principal Susan Ross.
The concert began with a holiday classic, “Rockin’ with Frosty,” performed by United Sound with accompaniment from the concert band. United Sound is a national organization that invites students with and without disabilities to work together to learn music.
“We teach them rhythms, notes and how to play an instrument,” Sara Gladhill, one of two United Sound chapter leads, said. “We hope to create friendships with the students while helping teach them music.”
Following United Sound’s performance, the jazz ensemble took the stage and played a selection of three songs: the rhythmic Latin jazz beat, “Pass the Hot Sauce;” a groovy take on a Christmas classic, “Big Noise from the North Pole” and their energetic finale, “Tank!” from Cowboy Bebop.
“Pass the Hot Sauce” featured a solo by alto saxophone player, Meredith Kula, and “Tank!” featured solos by Ben Demase on alto saxophone, Mark McLean on baritone saxophone, Berend Johnson on trumpet and Matt Hile on bongos.
“I feel it went better than my last solo,” Demase said. “There’s always room to improve.”
Retired LVHS band director Rick Reaves also played trombone alongside the student ensemble.
For those who missed the concert, the jazz band reprised their performance in the school library the morning of Monday, Dec. 16.
After the jazz ensemble, the concert band climbed back on stage to finish off the performance. Before they began, however, Stallings introduced to the audience student teacher Anthony Russo — who conducted three songs in this concert and assisted during music classes over the past few months.
Russo conducted the first two songs of the concert band’s program: “Across the Alaskan Snow,” a piece inspired by the Iditarod dog race, and “A Rollicking Hanukkah,” a whimsical piece that ties traditional Hanukkah songs into its score.
“Across the Alaskan Snow” featured an oboe solo by Louise Retherford.
Then, Stallings took the podium once more to conduct a unique, energetic piece: “Son of Santa the Barbarian.” Representing a war between “Barbarian Santa” and his son, Nicholas, on the question of whether Christmas should be “dark and scary” or “merry,” the song was accompanied by narration — performed by senior Ben Demase.
“Ms. Stallings just came up to me one class and was like, ‘Do you want to be Santa the Barbarian?’” Demase said. “Sure, why not? That sounds super cool.”
Demase, having starred in roles such as Black Stache (Peter and the Starcatcher) and Percy Jackson (The Lightning Thief) in Valley’s musical productions, gave a dramatic reading of his lines, acting out both sides of the war with the sudden changes in music — even switching between a viking hat and a Santa hat to represent the shifts.
“I was really putting my all into it, I hope I get a Tony for this role,” Demase said.
Finally, to finish off the show, the band continued their yearly tradition of allowing friends, family and alumni to join them on stage to play “Sleigh Ride.”
“It was fun,” alumni Abigail Proctor said. “I’m glad I had the opportunity because I haven’t played in an ensemble in a little bit.”
This year’s “Sleigh Ride,” however, held additional surprises.
Principal Susan Ross joined percussionist Henry Nardiello in playing the iconic slapstick, even pulling out an inordinately large slapstick at the end of the song to make an especially loud “slap.”
As another surprise, the trumpets donned horse head masks near the end of the song.
Proctor noticed how they’ve begun to grow comfortable in the transition to a new band director.
“The players have definitely gotten a lot more enthusiastic than last year,” Proctor said. “This year they really were shining with the new changes. They did really well.”
Valley’s concert band’s next performance will be on Jan. 14 during the Fine Arts Explosion.
