When the temperatures drop and the koi pond ices over, it’s a sign that some of the most iconic Conservatory holiday traditions are right around the corner. Dating as far back as the 1980s, both the Percussion and Bassoon studios have put on musical spectacles in the Conservatory Lounge to serenade both die-hard supporters and unknowing passersby alike with holiday music. Known respectively as Oberlin Percussion Group Festive Holiday Event (formerly Marimba Christmas) and Bassoon Christmas, the two concerts continue to showcase original student and faculty arrangements and compositions of classic festive songs.
“In the early 2000s when I was a student, I got to play four Marimba Christmases,” Associate Professor of Percussion Ross Karre, OC ’05, said. “Back then, the arrangements were made by this group that is now loosely known as ‘Heartland Marimba,’ and they made these big arrangements for keyboard percussion of the classics of Christmas radio hits. … Now … every single tune is arranged by a student or an alumni.”
Every year, percussion students submit arrangements and compositions to be performed — anything from mainstream holiday tunes to movie scores to creative spins on classics. Third-year double-degree percussionist Axel Martin, a prolific arranger and composer during their time at Oberlin, has crafted this year’s OPG FHE finale, a spoof on “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” titled “Karre’s Kolberg Tree,” that replaces the various gifts with instruments.
The Bassoon studio also draws its arrangements from the Oberlin community and likewise takes an alternate spin on both holiday music and bassoon repertoire.
“Part of our shtick is we’ll have a Christmas song or something holiday-related and we’ll mix it up with a bassoon or famous orchestral excerpt,” Professor of Bassoon Drew Pattison, OC ’10, said.
As part of this mash-up, Bassoon Christmas has invited other Conservatory students, such as Percussion and Voice students, to perform on specific pieces for many years.
“I played drumset for a mash-up of ‘Bolero’ and ‘Careless Whisper,’” fifth-year double-degree percussionist Brindhavan Jaeger said. “It was really fun, I’m not gonna lie. I didn’t know those two pieces could go together.”
Bassoon students play a large role in the preparation and execution of Bassoon Christmas, especially surrounding advertising (you may have spotted one of their handcrafted posters in the Conservatory recently) and bringing festive energy to the performance. This year, it is entirely student-run, as Pattison is currently on sabbatical.
“We transform the Conservatory Lounge with festive decorations, play a mix of holiday and silly music for a jam–packed audience, and end with a sing-along,” Conservatory third-year bassoonist Nicolas Woodward, who co-organized the concert this year, said in an email to the Review. “Each year has a surprise theme that we play music from, and everyone in the studio dresses up in costumes from that theme. It’s something to look forward to and a chance to bring some laughs and cheer at an otherwise quite stressful time in the semester.”
In the past couple of years, a joke has arisen — originating from the percussion side — about there being a “War on Bassoon Christmas.” As the subtitle has been promulgated among the Conservatory community, questions have arisen about its origin — the Review investigated.
“Bassoon Christmas is definitely bringing a very solid product,” Karre said. “At the Oberlin Percussion Group Festive Holiday Event, out of pure jealousy, and as a hilarious, sarcastic relationship to the Fox News ‘War on Christmas,’ we’ve decided to make a third set of words that represent the Festive Holiday Event, which is the ‘War on Bassoon Christmas.’ But truly, it’s affectionate. We collaborate with the bassoonists. We loan them our sleigh bells. Some of our members play in Bassoon Christmas, and they aren’t called traitors.”
Pattison reciprocated the collaborative spirit.
“We wish OPG the best,” Pattison said. “Hopefully, we can come up with some kind of peace treaty or something to the war that allegedly is going on.”
In a development of events since speaking to Pattison, it seems that some sort of negotiation between the two studio professors indeed occurred.
“As of 8:45 p.m. on Wednesday night, the bassoons and percussionists have started treaty talks,” Karre said.
This is all to say that the passion between the two studios for their holiday showcases is something not to be missed and is a continuation of a beloved tradition. OPG FHE happens on Dec. 12 at 4:30 p.m., and Bassoon Christmas is on Dec. 13 at 12 p.m. If you find yourself passing through the Conservatory Lounge at these times, you can’t miss them.
