On December 14, the Oakdale High School Marching Bear Band and Color Guard performed their annual winter concert in the auditorium. Starting at 7pm, the concert lasted for about an hour and admission was free to anybody who wanted to watch the performance.

The show started off with a routine by the Color Guard class spinning to the songs Christmas Eve and Sarajevo, followed by various small ensemble group performances that members of the band have been preparing for since the marching season came to an end.

These small ensemble performances featured duets, trios, and other larger groups. Abby Lane, a senior at Oakdale, was one of three performers of a flute trio that played a Christmas medley. “I was most nervous for the trio because I had many solo parts that have not always been perfect,” Lane stated.

Lindsey Edwards, a sophomore at Oakdale and another member of the flute trio, also expressed her concerns for the small ensemble performance: “I was definitely most nervous about the trio because I had several parts where only I played.”

Following the ten small performances, all the performers came together as a full band to finish off the concert. Conducted by Director Benjamin Zamostny, the band played through the songs Hallelujah Chorus, Sussex Mummers’ Christmas Carol, and Sleigh Ride.

Lane, who has been in band for nine years, discusses that her favorite part is “being with friends, and growing as a musician and a person through performance. I also like being challenged to step out of my comfort zone.”

“I don’t like how time consuming it is, and how hard I have to work to get certain parts down and sounding good,” states Edwards about her least favorite part of band.

The band undoubtedly put on a spectacular performance on Thursday, and their hard work definitely showcased throughout the night.

If you missed the show be sure to mark your calendar for other important dates including the Feeder Concert on January 25th, and the Spring Concert on May 25th!