Mt.A celebrates Halloween with a musical event featuring Garnet, Gold, and Ventus Machina
This Halloween, high school brass, woodwind, and percussion students from across the Maritimes had the opportunity to participate in an Honour Band workshop at Mt.A’s Marjorie Young Bell Conservatory of Music! Students attended an all-day workshop under the guidance of Mt.A faculty and student volunteers, saw a spooky-themed concert by Ventus Machina, and presented their hard work at the end of the night with a performance.
The Honour Band, a band that honours the strongest musicians of a larger group, annually invites select youths to participate in a workshop led by Mt.A’s music faculty and student volunteers. Music teachers from high school music programs across the Maritimes nominate their strongest musicians, and the honour band team selects the top participants depending on the instruments needed to form a standard ensemble.
This year, the students were separated into two ensembles, garnet and gold, named after the University’s school colours. The bands were led by Mt.A’s band and choir directors, Professor James Kalyn and Professor Kiera Galway. Mt.A music student volunteers also helped coach the high school students and introduce them to the University.
After lunch at the University dining hall, honour band participants were invited to attend a concert performed by Ventus Machina, a New Brunswick-based woodwind quintet that often features circulating members of Mt.A’s music faculty, including Kalyn. A longstanding member of the quintet, Kalyn also frequently composes for the group. The quintet also puts on their own chamber music workshop in the summer for adults, and are all well-versed in teaching orchestral music.
Ventus Machina’s concert this Saturday was titled Dances and Spells, playing a lively Halloween-themed programme. Presented by Symphony New Brunswick, Dances and Spells is the second of the orchestra’s Virtuoso series of small group performances. The concert had five showings from Sussex, N.B. to Sackville. The Virtuoso series spans from October 2026 to May 2027, featuring themed concerts from Ventus Machina and the Saint John String Quartet. Prior to Dances and Spells, the Saint John String Quartet performed their concert Watch This! around N.B. in the beginning of October. Ventus Machina will return in March for their art-themed concert tour A Gallery of Sound.
For the showing in Sackville, all members except for the bassoonist came onstage wearing Halloween capes. Before the final piece of the concert, Ventus Machina had a question-and-answer session with the students. When asked, it was explained that the bassoon player was not wearing a cape because it was not compatible with the instrument’s design.
After more rehearsals and a campus tour, the workshop wrapped up with a performance by the two Honour Bands at Mt.A’s Convocation Hall. The concert was open to the public and featured a programme of modern chamber music, including a piece called “Go Mounties!” composed by Kalyn. Students were able to perform in the grand hall and present what they had learned throughout the day in concert.