Playing a winning tune

By Denice Thibodeau

Published: August 17, 2008

The teen orchestra at Central Boulevard Church of God brought home a first place award from an international talent competition that is part of the Church of God General Assembly, held every two years.

This year’s assembly was held the first week in August in San Antonio, Texas.

Bob Russell, the music minister at Central Boulevard Church of God, said he was proud of his group for bringing home first place for the second time in a row, something that hasn’t happened before in this competition.

The church’s orchestra consists of about 50 musicians, but only the 27 teen members compete at the assembly. The teens have to win at a state competition before heading to the international event, which draws competitors from Church of God churches around the world.

Russell said the teens do a lot of extra practicing to be ready for the event.

“It takes a year to learn a piece well enough for this,” Russell said. “It must be perfect if you want to win. Most of the teens play without music and play at the level of third- or fourth-year college students.”

It’s an expensive proposition to haul 27 teens, their instruments and volunteer helpers to the competition. There was also a group of seven teen singers from the church choir who competed, but they didn’t place in the finals. In total, 53 members of the church went to the competition.

“It was $2,500 just in diesel fuel (for the church bus) to drive back and forth, plus motel rooms and meals,” Russell.

The teens raise money for the biennial event by performing at other churches one Sunday night a month, where special offerings are taken to help defray the cost of the trip.

“It takes two years to raise enough to be able to compete,” Russell said.

The teens face grueling days, 13-14 hours long, for the five days of the competition. When it comes down to the end, there are usually six or eight orchestras of comparable size at the final competition.

“Their poise, how they are dressed, how well they follow the conductor, their entrances and exits are all part of the judging,” said Russell. “You’ve got to look sharp.”

Russell said now the group has to start thinking about the next competition.

“We’re wondering if we’ll make it to the next one,” Russell said. “It will be in Orlando in two years.”