“Orchestra Battle!” 94. Guerrilla Live and a Fun Concert

94. Guerrilla Live and a Fun Concert

“In other words,”
As the roar of laughter that had enveloped the entire venue began to subside, the head judge, Kan Nagaoka, pulled himself together and began to organize the situation.
“Team B, you’re saying you took it upon yourselves to put a student guest invited by the program on stage? As a snare drum extra?”
“Well, that’s what it boils down to, isn’t it?”
Trying to ease the atmosphere even a little, regular judge Anka Aoi spoke up for Team B in a gentle tone.
“But I wonder what would have happened to Team B if they hadn’t done that.”
“The timpanist would have had to abandon their instrument and play the snare drum, I suppose.”
Nagaoka replied, looking unimpressed.
“And then there would be a hole in the timpani...”
Anka continued, as if to soothe him.
“The timpani is such an important part of the orchestra, practically its heart, responsible for rhythm and tempo. It plays a huge role in pieces like this overture, which requires special care to get through without falling apart. It’s a hidden support role for the conductor, distinct from the flashy concertmaster, acting as a brake or skillfully leading to build momentum. Even if the sound itself isn’t prominent in the music, it’s a linchpin, so we can’t afford to lose it.”
She then gently admonished the head judge.
“Either way, this was the best path forward.”
“No, that’s just too much of a cheat.”
Nagaoka’s indignation showed no signs of subsiding.
“And to threaten our staff not to tell on you!”
“Of course, that was just a risky joke by Mr. Aride, and Ms. Suzune was just playing along.”
Anka chuckled.
“And since you retaliated with that CG costume resembling the Nazi SS, I think we can call it even, don’t you?”
Nagaoka steeled himself, deciding that he would not offer any apologies this time, having been pushed around along with the other battlers by director Asami Fujino’s numerous malicious schemes, such as the sheet music pasting incident and the soloist downfall scandal.
Team B had planned a rule-breaking scheme that was far too underhanded. The sight of the mastermind, Gento Aride, dressed up as a Nazi-like villain was not unpleasant; in fact, now that the wrongdoing had been exposed, it was almost thrilling.
Moreover, Aride’s perfectly executed costume and cold-hearted demeanor made for one of the most memorable scenes in the program’s history!
Nagaoka had to begrudgingly admit, for once, that the Oni-Azami’s bizarre and wicked scheme was impressive.

“It has been a turbulent development with cheating, threats, and retaliations, but what will be the outcome of the A vs. B battle regarding the performance of ‘The Thieving Magpie’ itself?”
The host, Suzune Miyanaga, seized the moment to steer the conversation back.
“Team B cheated, so Team A wins.”
Nagaoka was still sulking.
‘Ah, I specifically said the performance itself...’ Suzune thought, tilting her head, but Nagaoka continued at his own pace.
“I believe I stated this before. I will not tolerate putting outsiders on stage without permission. In truth, the mastermind and those involved should be disqualified immediately, and the team that cheated should naturally lose. However, since the program also retaliated — though I knew nothing of it — I will overlook the disqualification of the mastermind and those involved this time, but I will show no mercy in the future if you put outsiders on stage without the program’s permission.”
After saying that much, he delivered his conclusion again.
“Anyway, Team B loses.”
“Ms. Misaki? As a guest judge, what did you think of the performance itself?”
Prompted by the host,
“Oh, but I thought Team B’s performance was refined to perfection, and it was full of power and the best. Team A was certainly overwhelming in terms of energy, but it sounded a bit rough around the edges.”
Guest Ayana Misaki spoke earnestly, then didn’t forget to add quietly,
“Oh, and I’m not being biased just because the snare drummer is a friend of mine from the orchestra.”
“It is true that many listeners seek energy and power, even if it is rough around the edges.”
Like the guest judge, Anka Aoi expressed her thoughts after paying her respects to Team A as a formality.
“Even in a disadvantageous situation like having only one woodwind section, Team B, led by Mr. Aride, was the one that accurately captured the essence of the original piece, so I choose B.”
Before the host, Suzune, could even summarize, the majority vote decided Team B’s victory, and a sigh of relief escaped from the audience, while a sigh of resignation came from the stage.

“Thanks to the program’s merciless prank, Team B escaped the fate of an automatic defeat.”
At that point, Nagaoka, with the pride of a head judge, raised his hand to stop them.
“Team A loses two members. But Team B, as the price for cheating, loses four members.”
‘What!?’ Then that means we didn’t win! Team B began to clamor.
“Please wait.”
Finally, the mastermind behind the cheating scheme, Gento Aride, stood up from the audience.
“I am the mastermind, and none of my teammates in B knew about the situation, so the responsibility lies with me. Could you please make it so that only I am disqualified?”
Even after being put through a terrible experience with the CG costume, he was uncharacteristically humble this time.
“Even if they weren’t told, they should have known. Team B? You were all on stage together, performing together; you can’t just say you didn’t know.”
Speaking in a low voice, Nagaoka wore a wicked smile.
“Mr. Aride, the greatest punishment for you is that because of your own arbitrary rule-breaking, four innocent teammates will be sacrificed. You alone will survive — this is decided. You will survive — and you shall taste the feeling of being on a bed of needles.”
The moderate Anka Aoi also acknowledged that this decision was unavoidable, and threw a sympathetic nod toward Gento Aride that included the nuance of ‘please just give up.’
Taking advantage of the chilling atmosphere, the host, Suzune Miyanaga, began to speak quietly.
“And the next task is... a fun task has already been delivered to the rehearsal room in writing. Everyone on the Butler team, please be prepared.”
After announcing this in a low, devilish voice, she switched to a bright tone to wrap up the turbulent ‘Magpie Battle.’
“Once again, thank you to our guest judge, Ayana Misaki, and to Toki Kanemitsu, who performed the sudden major role of an extra perfectly! Thank you both very much!”

Team A, who had worked hard and honestly without cheating, faced defeat.
Team B, who had won, was forced to lose four members.
Although everyone felt conflicted, the venue was filled with great applause for the two young student guests.

♪ ♪ ♪ Fun Concert to be Held ♪ ♪ ♪

Basic Details

・Masterpiece Concert
・Saturday 14:00 - Admission Free
・Battle Hall (Parking and shuttle service available)
・First half 45 minutes, intermission 15 minutes, second half 45 minutes

Notes

・It is okay if not everyone is on stage, as long as they contribute in some way.
・Program, arrangement, and genre are free.
・If there is talk, please provide the script to Suzune Miyanaga in advance.
・Consult with each other on which team takes the first or second half.
・Joint performances are not allowed. However, lending and borrowing soloists for pieces where the solo is the main focus is free.
・Within today, each team must design their own performance flyer to be distributed on the street using the office computer, submit the data, and apply for the required number of copies. All requested copies must be distributed to people; any leftovers will result in a point deduction (do not throw them in the trash).
As a subtitle for the ‘Fun Concert,’ please include ‘By volunteer musicians gathered in Karuizawa.’ Posting photos or names of the performers is not allowed.
Leave space on the bottom 1/4 of the flyer for the host TV station name, representative phone number, venue name and map, shuttle bus timetable, etc.
・10 A1-sized enlarged posters of the flyer will be distributed to both teams; please obtain permission to post them in various places around town. Any unposted posters will result in a point deduction.
・Tomorrow, volunteers must perform a 5-10 minute street performance twice, once in the morning and once in the afternoon, at designated times and locations, with both teams performing at staggered times to contribute to attracting an audience. Choose songs from the program.
Otherwise, performances elsewhere are free, provided individual permission is obtained.
・A flyer is required for admission, and the number of returned flyers will be the team’s score. One flyer allows up to 5 people to enter. In the case of groups or families, the number of companions is also added to the score.
・Interaction with the audience after the performance is not allowed. The fact that this performance is part of the battle series must be hidden, and the names of the performers will not be disclosed.
・For promotional activities, prepare one bus with a driver that can accommodate the entire team, plus the necessary number of passenger cars. There is no arrangement for large instrument transport vehicles, so street performances must be carried out with light equipment.
・Hall staff, such as reception and audience guidance, will all be arranged by us.

“Eh, what? This is kind of a hassle.”
“First, we have to think of a 45-minute program, then choose songs for the street performance from that, and make flyers to attract customers. For tonight, anyway.”
“What do you think? Compared to the task last week where we had to perform 3 songs in a row in one day—morning, afternoon, and evening—it seems more fun and easier, doesn’t it?”

Such was the reaction from Team A.
Because of the loss, they had to eliminate one person from the woodwinds (bassoon) and one from the strings (violin) by lottery, and in the awkward atmosphere, they seemed to have lost their motivation.

Since the genre is free, someone suggested movie music, and it was decided smoothly, saying it didn’t matter and it was a hassle anyway.
The idea was adopted to have a medley of famous songs for the street performance, and for the concert, to prepare several medleys by movie type (such as SF or musicals) or by composer, and to incorporate short skits in the second half to give it a story-like quality.

"Kamino-san, you mentioned before that you played the role of the sorrowful trumpeter in a short play of 'The Legend of 1900', didn't you?"
"The Legend of... that sounds good!"
"Morricone! Let's definitely do that."
And so, the short play for the second half was easily decided. The members, who hadn't been very motivated, gradually started to look forward to it, thinking that Tadashi Kamino's solo would surely shine.

"I was in the drama club, so I'll write the script!"
"Let's think about the movie music!"
"Me too! I'm quite knowledgeable about it."
"Leave the musical numbers to me."
"I'll go find the sheet music! There's probably a medley version, so we won't even need to arrange it ourselves."
"I'll design the flyers. I always hold my own independent concerts, so I'm used to it."

In this way, everyone eagerly volunteered for roles they were good at.
Tadashi Kamino himself, while wondering, 'Wait, I haven't given the OK yet, have I?', decided to start building an image for the role of the sorrowful trumpeter.
"We need an actor for the role of the instrument shop owner, just for the lines. Also, if possible, I'd like a pianist with professional-level skills."

If it comes to that, is it really going to be Hito Aride?
So he's going to be the pianist on the ocean, huh.
Wait, the lead role? Ugh, no way. Is he going to take all the best parts for himself?
Is that what it means to be able to borrow and lend soloists freely?
It's a bit frustrating, but if Kamino-san says so.

Meanwhile, Team B, despite being forced to lose four members, was considerate of their leader, Hito Aride, who was saddled with all the responsibility, and they acted as if the gloomy mood was nowhere to be found. They consciously pushed away their frustration, and everyone excitedly forced themselves to lift their spirits, saying, 'Wow, this actually sounds fun!'

Even so, they first had to decide on the unpleasant things.
The four dropouts.
Hito Aride, by order of the head judge Nagaoka, was not allowed to drop out. Given that the woodwinds were already a single-part ensemble, it was a reasonable conclusion that they would have to have at least one person from the brass section leave as well.
Remaining in the brass section were two trumpeters, two trombonists, and three horn players.
The trombones were clearly divided into tenor and alto, so it really had to be one person from either the horns or the trumpets.
That being the case, Fuko Kasuga, a newcomer to Team B, naturally volunteered to drop out. Yes, applause.
The remaining three were to come from the string section. Tsutomu Takigawa, who had first suggested the idea of using the snare drummer as a helper, offered to step down to take responsibility, but this was rejected, as it might create an atmosphere where no one would dare to make suggestions in the future for fear of the dropout penalty.
"Since the woodwinds and percussion have now been cut almost in half, if we think of the strings in the same way, assuming we cut half from the original number, the number of people we can drop from here on is..."
Someone from the surviving woodwinds calculated it carefully.
"There are 4 violins left, 1 viola, 2 cellos, and 1 double bass."
"If those 8 people drop out, the entire orchestra will be exactly half, right?"

The female violinist, who had already felt uncomfortable in the team due to the concertmaster replacement drama, was the first to gracefully volunteer. No one opposed it, and with a round of appreciative applause, her dropout was decided. The remaining two were chosen by drawing lots from all the string players, excluding the reliable Masamichi Bessho and Toru Hamano, whom they hoped would continue to play an active role. A nameless male violinist and a male double bassist who looked like a tough leader were dropped.

After giving the four unfortunate members a warm send-off with applause, now! Shall we tackle the troublesome task with a fresh mindset?
Opinions were raised that it might get messy if everyone discussed it, so why not leave it to an executive committee? Who should be on the committee? Leave it to volunteers? So, from the strings, young Tsutomu Takigawa, who barely escaped the dropout, and Toru Hamano, who volunteered as a gesture of gratitude for his exemption, stepped forward. From the winds, veteran Remi Konno was recommended, valued for her rich experience in family concerts and school tours.
When someone called out, 'Aride-san too!', he replied,
"If I join, I'll end up taking charge of everything again, so I'll leave it to the three of you."
He was being modest. In reality, he had no shortage of ideas, but he intended to prioritize his companions' free thinking and limit himself to only giving advice on the performance side.

"Then we'll go discuss it outside the rehearsal room, so if you think of anything, please don't hesitate to come and tell us."
With that, the three went off to consult.
"I have an idea."
Tsutomu Takigawa suggested first.
"How about we decide on an effective street performance song first?"
"Indeed. How we attract an audience is important, isn't it?"
"If we decide that, we can plan the overall program accordingly."
"I actually have an interesting idea for a street performance."
Tom-kun brought up a further suggestion.
"I saw it somewhere before. One person from a part that doesn't have the main melody of the orchestra starts playing casually, and since there's no melody, the general public doesn't really know what the song is. Then, little by little, instruments are added, but they still don't know. It draws people in with the feeling of 'What song is this?', and as the number of people and parts increases, the outline of the song eventually reveals itself, and then, 'Oh, it's this song!', and in the end, the main melody clearly emerges, leading into a grand performance of a famous piece."
"That's interesting!"
"That's good! I agree too!"
"So, what song was it?"
"That's the thing, it was such an obvious song for us orchestra people that I forgot."

So, what kind of song would be good? The three of them racked their brains, and since it's friendly and fun, Tchaikovsky's 'Waltz of the Flowers' was put forward as a candidate.
That would automatically mean the 'Nutcracker' suite would take up half the program, and for the rest, like the street performance, they could introduce famous songs in a quiz format, 'What song is this?', which would make for a fun concert. The general direction was found.

When they immediately proposed it to the team, everyone was in full agreement. There were no dissenters, and they were impressed that it was decided so quickly, thanking the three members of the executive committee.
Some muttered, 'Huh? The Nutcracker in midsummer? Isn't that a Christmas story?', but someone told them that the premiere of the suite was supposed to be in the spring, and they obediently backed down, saying, 'Oh, is that so?'

"Then, everyone, please put your heads together and come up with a few more songs that could be quizzes without the main melody. I'll go get the sheet music for 'The Nutcracker' for now."
Said Tom-kun. Seeing how hard they were working, Hito Aride also managed to switch into a motivated mode.
"We'll use a piano to substitute for the harp, but I'd really like to have a celesta if possible."
He decided to go with them to the library and instrument storage on the second basement floor.

"Actually, I've gotten hold of Toki Kanamitsu's contact information."
Here, Tsutomu Takigawa secretly brought up a confidential conversation again.
"He's a local, and if we ask his senior, Misaki-san, to help us, maybe we can get him to help with attracting an audience."
"That would be the strongest helper! That wouldn't be against the rules."
"They might still be around here chatting with staff, being interviewed, or having tea in the lounge."
"Forget the sheet music, I'll leave it to you!"
Without waiting for Aride's reply, Tom-kun dashed toward the entrance.
"It's not cheating, and it's not breaking the rules."
Aride quietly told himself.

Finding the two of them heading toward the front parking lot outside the entrance, Tsutomu Takigawa was genuinely happy, thinking, 'Thank goodness, I made it in time!' He could have secretly contacted them from a public phone when they all went out tomorrow, but that would be too late.
He caught up with the two and explained the situation.
"Wait a minute."
Ayana Misaki raised her hand and interrupted in the middle of the story.
"Yes. Rewinding time."
"Huh!?"
"You don't want to be accused of foul play again, right? Let's pretend we didn't hear what you just said. I'll ask the questions, and you just answer."
"OK."
Tom-kun was thoroughly impressed and agreed. Ayana started cautiously.
"Has the next task already been decided?"
"On Saturday afternoon, the day after tomorrow, we'll be planning a free concert for the general public, and tomorrow we'll be competing in street performances in front of Karuizawa Station to attract an audience."
"Is the concert by advance application?"
"They say they'll accept reservations, but it seems walk-ins are fine. The flyers we make and distribute will serve as admission tickets. The team that collects more flyers gets a higher score, so we have to attract a lot of people during the street live stage."
"Is the time for the street live decided?"
"I don't know yet, but each team will have a staggered time."
"If the location is specified, why don't you pretend to apply for a street live and check the available times with the local police station? Even if you don't know which team it is, I'll inquire right away."
Toki Kanamitsu also offered an idea as the two chose their words carefully.
"We're locals, so we'll call our families and acquaintances and gather a lot of people. For the street live and the concert."
"Even if they gather, what if they ignore us if it's Team A?"
Tom-kun carefully declined Toki-kun's consideration.
"That would be a bit unfair to A. This time, I want to compete fairly, so if they bring the flyer of the team they like. Well, I think we'll probably do 'Waltz of the Flowers'. In a slightly unusual style."
"Is it only in front of the station?"
"The station front is specified. Other than that, it seems like live performances are OK anywhere as long as you get permission."
"There seems to be a street piano placed in the food court of the shopping mall near the station recently. The surrounding area also has quite a bit of space, so can't you all perform there?"
"That's helpful information! Let's definitely do it there too!"
"Would you like to go check it out with me now?"
It was a grateful offer from Ayana, but,
"Ah, too bad. We have a rule that we can't leave the premises during the battle."
Tom-kun said regretfully.
"We're in isolation until we drop out. We got permission for a one-day vacation, but basically, we're canned here. But thank you."
"That's tough."
"That's why I'm happy to be able to go out to the city tomorrow."
"A guerrilla live around the station! I'm looking forward to it!"
Toki-kun was also completely on board.
"Hmm, didn't 'guerrilla live' have the nuance of a famous artist performing without notice to their fans?"
"When Oke-Battle is broadcast, everyone will be famous, so it's fine."
"Let's just say we're fast-forwarding time."
Flattered by the two, he felt a little happy, but he made sure to nail it down.
"Well, please keep the talk about Oke-Battle and the fact that this performance is part of the battle series a secret from your friends for now."
"Understood!" The two voices harmonized beautifully.

Then, see you at the station tomorrow!
They got into the car driven by Ms. Ayana. Tom-kun saluted them dashingly with heartfelt gratitude as he saw them off.

Continuing to 95. "Street Corner Boy and Waltz of the Flowers"...

　
　
★ ★ ★ Eliminated This Time ★ ★ ★

Team A (2 members)
The living fossil bassoon uncle
The nameless violin who drew the short straw

Team B (4 members)
Fukuko Kasuga (Tp.) - Sacrificed herself due to her status as a newcomer
The nameless concertmistress (Vn.) who felt awkward after the substitution drama
The nameless Vn. & Cb. men who drew the short straw