Annabelle Smith
On March 3rd, the guitar ensemble, string orchestra, and wind band performed their Pre-Festival Concert at the Maryland Theater.
In a show of solidarity, the concert began with the Ukrainian national anthem, performed by Jake Milburn on cello. Performers and audience members alike stood for the playing of “Shche ne vmerla Ukraina” in a display of support for Ukrainian people.
The guitar ensemble were the first to perform, led by section leader Caleb Bachtell. Their first piece was the traditional “Romanza Rumba,” arranged by Julie Goldberg, followed by “The Floating Ancillary Ants” by Rex Willis. This atypical piece featured unique tonal dissonance and percussive playing, evoking images of ants joining together to form a raft during a flood.
The string orchestra, conducted by Mr. Hollin and Mr. Benford, performed three pieces: “Prelude and Fugue in D Minor” by J. S. Bach, “Folk Song and Fiddle Tune” by Percy Fletcher, and “Egyptian Legacy” by Soon Hee Newbound, a Maryland-born composer and alumni of James Madison University. Between each piece, violinists changed their seats, demonstrating an ability to play both Violin I and II parts and their comprehensive musical training.
Finally, the wind band, conducted by Mr. Hollin and Mr. Benford, took the stage. The ensemble’s three pieces included “March for the Yorkshire Corps” by Ludwig van Beethoven, a Latin piece entitled “Fuego Español” by Mark Lortz, who visited the school to personally work with the band on his piece, and “Corsican Litany” by Václav Nelhýbel. This final piece was adapted from a traditional Corsican tune played at the funeral of someone who was murdered, encompassing the emotions of the loved ones left behind: anguish, lamentation, and sworn vengeance.
Individual players and small ensembles from all groups, including the vocalist department, will be performing at Solo and Ensemble on Saturday, March 5th, where they will receive scores from a panel of judges. Make sure to congratulate your peers who participated for their hard work and excellent performances!
The string orchestra and wind band will be attending the Music Festival on March 15th and 22nd, respectively. Festival is a yearly event for music ensembles across the district, where they gather at North Hagerstown High School to perform for a panel of judges chosen for their expertise in ensemble performance. The ensembles will be judged on tone, technique, intonation, balance, blend rhythm, dynamics, and overall musical effect. The string orchestra and wind band will be performing the pieces we heard at the concert, along with an assessment in sight reading which will be added to their overall score. Wish these groups luck leading up to their performance in the coming weeks.
Congratulations to the guitar ensemble, string orchestra, and wind band on a wonderful concert, and good luck to all performers at both Solo and Ensemble and Festival later this month.
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