Reader here, and I just got home from a fun evening at the Painted Hand Casino, as a sold-out crowd came to enjoy an evening of great music, featuring the “All That Jazz Big Band!”
We’d been working for several months to get the show together, and get our parts locked down, and tonight was the big night.
It’s funny, when we rehearse, we generally play pretty well, but sometimes, things can get a little ragged.
But when the lights go on and the curtain rises, we have a way of rising to the occasion, and always seem to play our best for an audience!
The community big band is pretty cool. We have players ranging in age from high school students to senior citizens, from different backgrounds and communities but we come together to make music, under the direction of our intrepid band director, Larry Pearen.
I’ve played in the band for several years now, and I’ve really enjoyed it.
I played with the band from Grades Five through Twelve, back home in Conquest and Outlook, but since graduating high school, I really hadn’t picked up the horn too often.
But I had started getting the itch to play again after moving to Yorkton in 2006.
It was here, that serendipity came into play.
It all started when we had Larry Pearen in for a morning interview several years ago, to promote an upcoming concert. If you know Larry, upon meeting him, one of the first things he’ll ask you, is if you play a musical instrument. And if you answer in the affirmative, he’ll invite you to come check out the band.
So I did, and all these years later, I’m still going, helping to hold down the trumpet section!
Tonight, we played a wide range of music, from artists as varied as Earth, Wind & Fire, Coldplay and Michael Buble, to Adele, Ray Charles, Journey, and “Ol’ Blue Eyes” himself, Frank Sinatra.
The band was joined by vocalists Rob Zerr of Langenburg and Adelle Sawatzky, who many know as the band and choir director at Yorkton Regional High School.
Rob lent his powerful voice to classics such as “New York, New York,” “My Way,” “God Bless the Child” and a pair of Chicago hits – “25 or 6 to 4” and “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?”
Adelle took over the mic and soared on favourites like Ray Charles’ “Hallelujah, I Love Her So,” the Gershwin brothers’ standard “Someone to Watch Over Me,” and of course, “Skyfall,” by that other Adele you might have heard of.
The band was hot, the crowd was ready for a great show, and everyone in attendance had a great time.
We even had some former members of the band on hand for the show, and it was great to catch up!
That’s the great thing about joining a band, a team, or organization – you get to meet and make friends with people you might not have otherwise crossed paths with, all because of common interests.
Don’t be shy – take a chance and try some new things.
Speaking of which, the community concert and jazz bands rehearse every Tuesday night, from September through May, at the YRHS band room.
If you play an instrument (or haven’t in a long time, but want to do so again), consider this your invitation to come check it out.
Everyone is welcome… the more the merrier!
