“Tubas! You call that swinging? You guys swing like a lead balloon!” Barry Peters, our conductor, teases. We’re rehearsing “Santa Claus is Comin’ To Town” for the TV-screened Binghamton Youth Symphony Orchestra Holiday Concert coming up in 3 weeks.
Along with Robin Steuteville ’18, Jordan Lu ’18, Rowan Miller ’17, and Nicole Peters ’17, I rehearse at Binghamton High School with the Binghamton Youth Symphony Orchestra (BYSO) every Sunday from 3 to 6. We leave Ithaca around 1:30 and get home around 7:30, pretty much giving up our entire Sunday to participate in this symphony orchestra. This is a huge commitment to make, given that we are all in high school.
Every year, BYSO gives four amazing concerts, the first of which is the TV-screened Holiday Concert. We are videotaped playing holiday pieces, which include Christmas and Hanukkah pieces alongside songs such as “Sleigh Ride” that fulfill a wintry holiday spirit. This year, BYSO is playing Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker, Festive Sounds of Hanukkah arranged by Bill Holcombe, and The Most Wonderful Christmas arranged by Robert Sheldon.
Over the rest of the year, there are three main concerts. One is the Winter Concert in January, where BYSO will perform The Sorcerer’s Apprentice by Paul Dukas, The Tale of Tsar Saltan by Rimsky Korsakov, Porgy and Bess by George Gershwin, arranged by Chuck Sayre, Shepherd’s Hey by the one and only Percy Aldridge Grainger, and more. Then in March, we play at the Children’s Concert. Every year, over 2,000 elementary-school students from Binghamton and Vestal are invited to come to hear us play so we can encourage young students to start playing an instrument. The Southern Tier Dance Academy, a dance group from the Binghamton area, performs alongside us for one of the pieces, providing an influence to start dance as well. The last concert of the year, and in my opinion one of the best and most exciting, is the Spring Concert in May. It almost always has a full house and offers refreshments at the end.
If anyone is interested, they are always welcome to come to any of the concerts. The BYSO is guaranteed to have a wonderful performance, even though we are constantly reminded that we “have emotions of a fruit!” by our wonderful conductor Barry Peters.
Auditions are held in August and January for new members who wish to join. Everyone is welcome, although oboes, cellos, and violas are greatly wanted in our orchestra. Much like NYSSMA, auditioning musicians need to prepare scales and a piece, but luckily enough, there is no sight reading involved. Once you become a member, there is no need to audition for eligibility again. Of course, like every orchestra or band, there are seating auditions: one in September and one in February.
Although playing in the orchestra is never tiring, we take time off during Thanksgiving and winter break. Naturally, if the orchestra does not seem very well-prepared and an extra rehearsal might be needed, Mr. Peters threatens us, saying, “You all sound suckiosso. … I’m not giving you a break next time.” Don’t worry, he’s always joking. If you’re interested in making music, or just want to spend your Sundays relaxing and playing in the orchestra while not having to feel guilty about not doing homework that is probably due Monday, join BYSO. Trust me, the last thing you will do is regret it.
