It feels great to just get everything that you’ve worked for out into the world,” Berkeley High School junior and trumpet player Caden Kittredge said, “You can really show what you’re feeling and put that energy into music.” The BHS Band and Orchestra (BAO) put on their annual Winter Concert the nights of Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 17 and 18, 2025, at the Berkeley Community Theater. Family, friends, and fellow students gathered to watch part of the BHS music department show-off a variety of pieces which they have been working on for the past three months. The Beginning & Intermediate Band and Orchestras performed on Nov. 17, followed by the Advanced Band and Orchestra on Nov. 18.
Over the course of two shows, they performed more than 20 pieces. This being the first concert for new-to-BHS Band teacher Jonah Andreatta, as well as the first time these individual ensembles would be performing together, they all pulled off an interesting and beautiful show that impressed the audience. “A lot of people were really proud of how we did as an ensemble,” BHS senior and flute section leader Lina Lorenz said.
The shows opened with the Band groups, consisting of a variety of woodwinds, brass, percussion, and even a piccolo — the opening of each night was lively and a well put together welcome to the show. On the opening night of the show, Band 1 and Band 2 put on an incredible performance. With interesting and lively music, the work and joy from the performers was evident. Specifically for Band 2, the performers played a variety of different genres of music — including types of Japanese marches and even musical theater numbers. “Each piece had its own personality,” Kittredge said.
For Band 3, on the second night of showings, a seemingly universal favorite was the piece “The Witch and the Saint” by Steven Reineke. As their second song of the night, it began with Andreatta turning his attention towards the audience as he provided some context in the form of a story. Composed in 2005, the piece tells the adventure tale of a pair of twins as one discovers she is a saint, and the other a witch.
“My favorite piece was ‘The Witch and the Saint,’” BHS senior and french horn player Cassian Evans said, “Partially because it’s so beautiful and has a good story, and partially because it’s the piece I get to do the most in.” A dynamic song that varies between being loud and passionate to quite tragic and melodic, it was certainly a highlight of the night.
After a brief intermission, the show then moved into the second portion of the performances which was the Orchestra. Led by seasoned BHS teacher Mary Dougherty, expectations for all three groups of students were high. For the Advanced Orchestra, their final closing numbers were particularly entertaining for the audience. As they performed “Kleine Suit,” Op. 1 by Carl Nielsen, and “Three Dances” by Florence B. Price, the distinct organization into sections stood out. Each piece was organized into three unique sections. At various moment throughout the songs, they would begin to wind down as if ending soon, but then quicky jump into something completely harmoniously different.
Later on, the president and vice president of the BAO Council Student officers, BHS senior Matilda Starbuck and BHS junior Erik Pompe, respectively, had a moment to speak to the audience. They reminded the audience of fundraisers and the importance of attending BHS art and music shows. They also shared how to continue to support the BHS Music Department through donations and attending performances.
Overall, both nights of performance were ones that left the audience thoroughly impressed. The amount of time every musician, soloist, or ensemble member put into working on these pieces was evident in the beauty of the music. “To hear that applause is just so beautiful, honestly. Like, it’s just so nice to hear everything that you’ve worked for pay off,” Kittredge said.