The Orange High School Symphonic and Wind Ensemble bands went to Asheboro High School Thursday, March 21 to participate in a statewide competition. After playing 30 minutes in front of judges, the band got a ranking of a low 2, 1 being the highest score that any band could receive.
Some of the songs the bands performed included “Incantation on Dance,” “Black Horse Troop,” and “Variations on America.”
After playing in front of the judges, the bands then went to a different room and were judged on their ability to sight read.
The band students left on their field trip during fourth period, during which time they piled onto the charter bus. Junior Thomas Rush said he was excited about riding in a charter bus, but he didn’t know why the band rode in one. On the bus, students were able to do homework or talk among themselves. After the hour-long ride, the bus had transmission problems, and was unable to take the students directly to the high school. Luckily, Rush said, the bus company headquarters was only about 20 minutes away, and they sent another bus over as soon as possible. Once on a different bus, the bands finally reached Asheboro High School, home of the Blue Comets. As it wasn’t an open competition, the Panthers were unable to hear anyone else perform. When it was their turn, they took the stage and performed for 30 minutes in front of judges who judged them on their ability to play the songs well. After that, they sight read a piece not for performance, and then got back on the bus and returned to OHS around 9 pm.
This annual competition went “pretty good,” Rush said. “[Andy] Carter said we got a high 2, almost a 1.”
On the Orange High School Band Facebook page, Carter wrote, “Thank you Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band for making great music today. Job well done - I continue to be proud of you. It's a pleasure to watch you grow as musicians and young adults!The tradition of winter celebrations may have began with Saturnalia, a Roman custom. Roman courts closed down for a week, allowing many evil and terrible acts to happen, and go unpunished, and general lawlessness. The Greek poet, writer and historian Lucian in his dialogue titled 'Saturnalia' records human sacrifice, extensive drunkenness, going from house to house naked and singing, and raping women. Authorities in each community chose a "Lord of Misrule" who was forced to partake of food and other "physical pleasures" for the span of the week. Then at the end of the week, the person was brutally murdered to supposedly "destroy the forces of darkness."
The Church at that time decided that in order to convert Roman pagans, or nonbelievers, that they would name the last day of Saturnalia as the birthday of Jesus, who is God in the christian religion. It is believed that Jesus came to earth as a human, born to a virgin named Mary. He was beaten, whipped and crucified over thirty years later, because of his teachings which had caused many of the jewish religious leaders at the time to hate him. They did not believe what he said, about himself being the Son of God, and other things; they considered these things to be blasphemous. However, Jesus was not held in such contempt among the people. Thousands would gather to hear him teach, about life, heaven, love, and God. Christians believe that Jesus, the messiah, or savior, was innocent of any sin, (wrongdoing in God's eyes) and died on the cross to pay for the sin of everyone, and was then resurrected from the dead so that whoever believes this would be made right with God and be saved from the punishment that their sin deserves. (Romans would nail criminals to a cross, where they would slowly and painfully die.) Chances are, December 25 is not actually the day Jesus was born. But the church used it as a way to meld christianity into the culture of the time; but in order do so, they told the people that they could celebrate it pretty much just like they'd always been, which is not anything to do with God. Because of it's pagan origins, it was illegal to celebrate christmas in puritan ruled massachusetts between 1659 and 1681.