The lights dim as the room’s glow deepens and the curtains fly open. Seeping through the cracks of the doors, music overflows the Coppell High School Auditorium.
On Tuesday night, Coppell Band held its winter and Christmas concert. Although the show had been scheduled for months, the band had nine practices prior to the show due to regional competition.
“It went really well considering that we had a limited amount of class time to put things together with everyone,” assistant director Riaz Mohammed said. “We had to work around that scheduling, whether it’s trying to get into a percussion class or holding practice after school, and I’m really proud of all the effort that was put into this by the kids.”
With the shortened time to rehearse for the concert, the band prepared to put out a high-quality concert despite the limited practice time.
“We were able to work really hard in class and we did really well,” sophomore Kendal Thiele said. “There was so much contrast in the concert and I just loved that.”The composition of “Grace Before Sleep” presented Wind Symphony Band’s ensemble development and lyricism as they performed. The crowd watched in silence as the song traveled through their ears and mind.
A combination of Christmas classics such as Symphonic Band 1’s performance of “The Christmas Festival” and beautifully composed slow songs such as Wind Symphony’s performance of “Grace Before Sleep” allowed all to enjoy the concert.
“I really loved the songs we performed,” Mohammed said. “‘The Christmas Festival’ was my favorite to teach the kids because of how much I’ve grown with it, and it was really amazing hearing all of the hard work combine to form something great.”
With all the Coppell bands performing their own songs in the concert, there was a variety of music and skill spread throughout the night.
“They didn’t even think about the concert at home, only regionals,” parent Devika Eswaren said. “They’re so diverse in what they’re focusing on right now, and this was really a beautiful concert. I really enjoyed it.”
Performances throughout the night were cheered, but as the final note of “Marche Slave” played by the Wind Symphony the audience gave a standing ovation to the performers. The silence in the room widened as the music slid over the audience as they listened in awe.
Concluding the concert with the final bow, the audience’s wild applause and cheers rang through the auditorium. This bow, signifying so much more than an end to a concert, illustrated the hard work, countless hours, and experiences put into the production of this year’s winter concert.
“Incredible,” parent Lori Rodriguez said. “I’m so proud. The bands had so much to offer and really showed us.”
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