Rehearsing Together, Performing Together: Joint Performances by the Steinmühle Concert Band and the Army Band
A chamber concert by the Kassel Army Band is of exceptional musical quality. It’s no wonder, then, that the Steinmühlenforum was well attended for the benefit concert on February 20, and that the members of the Steinmühlen Concert Band, together with their conductor Stephan Reissig, took the opportunity to hold a joint workshop.
Talent and practice, practice, practice—these are the secrets to success for instrumentalists, and perhaps the most important ones. Inspiration, role models, and tips provide additional motivation. And even if you’re not quite at the same skill level, you can always learn something from the pros.
That was exactly the plan of the Steinmühlen concert band, which had already held its workshop with the musical guests from Kassel the day before.
Right at the start of the concert, our students showcased what they had learned in two pieces performed together. They were sure to receive applause from the audience in the packed forum. Naturally, Steinmühlen concert band director Stephan Reissig and Senior Master Sergeant Andreas Alschinger, who each conducted their respective musicians, were also delighted with the successful performances.
A Journey Through Musical Eras
The rest of the evening was a journey through various musical eras, performed by the Chamber Orchestra of the Army Music Corps under the overall direction of Staff Sergeant Christian Schmidt. First, the musicians delved into the 1920s and presented Erwin Schulhoff’s *Divertissement*. The dissonances in the piece were not always in line with what our ears—accustomed to harmony—are used to hearing in everyday life, but the performances aptly reflected the music of Schulhoff, who, as a contemporary of Arnold Schoenberg, was one of the most internationally successful composers of the 1920s.
“The Show Must Go On,” they said afterward, and the audience found themselves enjoying music by the iconic British band Queen, performed by the clarinet ensemble. The program continued with a variety of pieces, including works by Elton John and Charles Koechlin’s Sonatine Modale, Op. 155, performed by the flute and clarinet duo, before the brass ensemble took the stage. Here, too, the audience was treated to a mix: the program included “Viva la Vida” by Coldplay, “Lullaby” by Christoph Moschberger, and “Pirates of the Caribbean” by Klaus Badelt, arranged by Adrian Wagner. Solo artists regularly perform in the chamber music concerts of the Kassel Army Band. The concert program also included the trombone solo “Csardas” by Vittorio Monti, performed by Master Sergeant Sebastian Stricker.
An extremely varied evening came to a close, during which the audience—composed of music fans from the Steinmühlen community and members of the hosting Rotary Club of Marburg—was treated to an acoustic journey through the music of various decades. Principal Björn Gemmer thanked host Sergeant First Class Mareike Zaretzke and all the performers for this delightful experience. The fact that the event also supported a good cause—namely, donating the remaining proceeds to the Parents’ Initiative for Children with Leukemia and Cancer as well as to the Steinmühle Friends Association—made the evening all the more special.
