“A band ought to have a sound all of its own. It ought to have a personality.” -Glenn Miller
Those are words all too representative of the monumental Glenn Miller Orchestra. The gentlemen’s charisma left me frozen in the forties, with vintage swinging jazz entrancing and entertaining the audience in an intimate venue.
The performance was entirely reminiscent of the era encompassing World War II. I asked myself how one could live in that time and not feel constantly romanced by music alone.
When I broke my trance, I realized the vitality of the technique.
When the saxophones softened their tones, melting into slurs, I acknowledged a grand profession of love. When the trombones maintained a masculine rumble, I felt booming enthusiasm. When the clarinets chased note after note in a smooth wave, I was blanketed by a sophisticated heartache.
Technique tells the story, and the Moonlight Serenaders fully showcased their unity with this concept.
So how did Del Norte find itself so favored in showcasing the Glenn Miller Orchestra? Scratch that, in performing with the Glenn Miller Orchestra?
After asking around, I’ve yet to discover why Del Norte and our own Mrs. Jennifer Kitelinger were personally contacted by the Orchestra—yes, we were contacted by them! The only information I did discover is that we are the first and only high school the Moonlight Serenaders have ever coordinated with—and this is an orchestra that’s been around since 1938.
Del Norte’s orchestra was challenged to break out of the box of classical music and enter the world of the jazz string style. But both orchestras expressed that throughout the performance they found no hitches in working together, and instead an easy enjoyment of each other’s talents.
The magnificence of the music and the innovation behind the performance left me speechless. I only have three regrets.
One: I had no idea who Glenn Miller was until Sunday night. I am now perpetually obsessed.
Two: The performance was not well-advertised to students. As a generation of culturally-deprived youths, being persistently reminded to attend would’ve created a mass revelation of an unparalleled artistry.
Three: I was born into an era beyond the consummate perfection of the Moonlight Serenaders.