Paly’s instrumental music department will hold its annual Pops Concert on Friday, March 13, from 7:00-9:30 p.m. in the big gym.
The performance will feature the concert, symphonic, and jazz bands, as well as the Paly orchestra, and will center on jazz and other types of popular music, according to Paly band director Jeff Willner.
Willner said that he enjoys the relaxed atmosphere created by the more accessible songs in this particular concert.
“I like this concert because we get to do some lighter stuff that’s fun to play,” Willner said.
The concert will kick off with performances by the orchestra, concert band, and symphonic band. The concert band’s set will include Paul Desmond’s “Take 5,” famously performed by the Dave Brubeck Quartet, of which Desmond was a part.
The concert band will also play two medleys, “Salute to American Jazz,” arranged by Sammy Nestico and featuring pieces by artists such as Dizzy Gillespie and Duke Ellington, and “Symphony of Sitcoms,” arranged by Paul Jennings and comprised of themes from 1960s television sitcoms.
The orchestra will play Leroy Anderson’s “Fiddle-Faddle,” a technical violin tour-de-force, and music from Rocky, among other compositions.
Willner says he is especially looking forward to the symphonic band’s performance of Franz von Suppé’s “Poet and Peasant Overture.”
“It [Poet and Peasant Overture] is a piece that I’ve always liked,” Willner said.
Refreshments will be served at 8 p.m., and swing dance instructor Candy Farbstein will subsequently teach a group swing dance class for the entire audience, which Willner expects to number about 500 people. After the class is finished, the jazz band will start to play — listen for classics like Glenn Miller’s “In the Mood” and Duke Ellington’s “Satin Doll” — and the concertgoers will start to dance.
According to Willner, even those who do not plan on dancing end up catching the fever.
“Some people, they don’t think they’re going to get on the dance floor, but when things get started, at that point it’s just a party,” Willner said.
Willner recognized junior jazz band saxophonist Matt Segall and junior guitarist Chris Tang as talented soloists, and also singled out the orchestra’s first violin section for its play on “Fiddle-Faddle.”
The section is missing one of its four members, freshman Sophie Wang, because the concert conflicts with one of two rehearsals for Saturday’s All State Honor Orchestra concert in Ontario, Calif., in which Wang will take part.
Willner said that the ability of all of the musicians has opened doors for the band and orchestra.
“The musicianship for the kids is so good that we’re able to do some pretty complicated stuff, and that’s always very exciting,” Willner said.
According to Willner, this concert is the music department’s way of giving back to the community.
“I think we’ve built it [the concert] up to a pretty nice thing [over the years that Paly has held the concert],” Willner said. “It’s our big community event.”
Though the concert is a fundraiser for the department, Willner maintains that the top priority is to put on a good show.
“My main focus is to have a really nice event,” Willner said. “If we make some money in the process, that’s good too.”
According to Willner, the main band and orchestra fundraiser is the flea market held at Paly on the second Saturday of every month.
The Pops Concert itself takes a lot of planning, the most of any concert throughout the year, according to Willner.
“A lot of parents put in a lot of work [to make this concert happen],” Willner said. “If I were having to deal with all of the decorating and everything, my head would explode.”
Willner praises the concert for its uniqueness and value as wholesome entertainment.
“It’s good clean fun,” Willner said. “I’ve never heard of anyone who went and didn’t have a good time.”
Band members and boosters are selling tickets for $5 each for students and $8 each for adults. At the door, tickets will be $10 for everyone.