I was very excited to attend this event due to the fact that orchestra Halloween concerts have a special place in the nostalgic part of my heart. I myself, was part of many Halloween concerts back in my high school days. It was always the most well attended concert of the year and it wasn’t hard to understand why with everyone dressed up in costumes. There were skits that were performed by very enthusiastic teachers, an exuberant amount of spooky decorations, and candy that was handed out to the audience in droves.
Sunday night’s concert definitely took me back to those fun times (though there was no candy handed out unfortunately). It was very entertaining to see the orchestra’s choice of costumes and I was especially impressed by the sections that coordinated their outfits. Some of my favorites were the Mario gang, the variety of sandwich people, and the party of nuns. Of course, it was also especially entertaining to watch the T-rex heads bobbing about to the melody of the pieces that were played as the musicians got into the rhythm of the music.
There were several little exchanges throughout the concert as conductors changed out; little Halloween skits if you will, where one conductor would run off the stage in fear as the next conductor appeared on stage, cackling and waving her wand as witches do. I really appreciated the effort put in by the conductors to take advantage of those transitions and making the experience even more enjoyable for the audience. It really was a treat to watch.
As far as the music itself was concerned, the entire concert was superb. I would expect nothing less from such a talented group of individuals or any orchestra at the University of Michigan for that matter. It was very clear to see how much work the students put in to their craft and how much they enjoy playing. Their energy made me want to grab my violin out of the closet and annoy all my neighbors with my practicing. And I loved the fact that the orchestra incorporated encores into their performance; not just one, but two! The audience got to enjoy two extra songs that weren’t in the program! And it seems the last one to be played is a tradition in the realm of the Halloween concert so if you like Ghost Busters make sure you get tickets for the Halloween concert next year.
