Samo Orchestra delivers holly, jolly winter concert
Matilde Martinez, Staff Writer
The orchestras’ Winter Concert on Dec. 7 was the third event to be held inside Barnum since the beginning of the pandemic. Samo’s seven orchestras — String, Concert, Sinfonia, Intermezzo, Philharmonic, Symphony and Chamber — got together to deliver a wonderful performance on their first night back. Director of Orchestras Jason Aiello welcomed the crowd, which filled Barnum to the brim.
“Welcome everybody. We are so happy to be back in Barnum Hall. This is our first indoor concert since Dec. 2019… We’re excited to share a great evening of music with you all,” Aiello said.
Samo orchestra members were also glad to perform once more after a long time away. Delaney O’Dea (’24), a second violinist for Philharmonic, shared her feelings about her return to the stage.
“It’s so revitalizing being back to live performance. Last year kind of drained my passion for music, but being back in person and being immersed in the music in a venue like Barnum is just magical,” O’Dea said.
The combined String and Concert orchestras played “Baila Conmigo,” “Cordoba” and “Land of Dragons.” The Sinfonia Orchestra performed “El Relicario,” “Contra-Dance No. 1” and “Flight.” The Intermezzo Orchestra delivered “Romanian Folk Dances,” “Danza Final (Malambo)” and “Troika”. Next, the Chamber Orchestra, comprised of the most advanced string musicians in the school, played “Bachianas Brasileiras No. 9.”
After a brief intermission, the Philharmonic Orchestra performed the classic “Nutcracker Suite.” As Jim Wang, also orchestra director, lifted his baton to commence the third movement of the piece, Barnum’s fire alarms began blaring and the audience and orchestras were required to evacuate. After no danger was found, the Philharmonic Orchestra soon returned to the stage to continue playing. O’Dea describes the odd situation.
“It was a little disconcerting at first, but… I also think my orchestra did a really great job resuming our playing and finishing the remaining movements of the suite,” O’Dea said.
After Philharmonic, the Symphony Orchestra ended the night with “Symphony No. 9 in E minor ‘From the New World’,” “Mambo” from “West Side Story” and the festive “Sleigh Ride.” The audience members who won the program’s raffle got the chance to join Symphony on stage.The crowd joined into the fun, clapping cheerily to the beat and laughing joyously as hidden snow machines spit out powdery white flakes. The ambiance was stark in contrast to the fear experienced at school the day before when a Samo student left a Snapchat threatening a shooting, which Aiello alluded to during the concert.
“We are constantly being bombarded by this pandemic of violence, and I’m reminded of Leonard Bernstein’s quote… ‘This will be our reply to violence: to make music more intensely, more beautifully and more devotedly than ever before’,” Aiello said.
Orchestra Director Jim Wang conducts the Concert and String Orchestras.