On Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, the four bands performed in the auditorium in the Fall Band Concert, the first performing arts concert of the year.
Starting with a piece called “Cloudburst,” released in 2022 by Robert Clayson, performed by the Percussion Ensemble, the audience was delighted with a mix of whimsical tunes and dark tones throughout the concert.
“I thought all four groups played really well, [I’m] very happy with their performance,” band teacher Mr. Adam Gohr said. “Six weeks is early on in the semester for a concert. But I think they’ve really grown a lot, even in this six weeks of time.”
Mr. Gohr gets to see growth on all different levels, such as when they start sight-reading songs, from when they start in August and their growth from freshman year to senior year.
“I did a good job at not tensing up,” senior Catherine Harrison said, who’s been playing the flute for ten years now. “I [have] the habit of tensing up and I was able to stay relaxed [tonight].”
Each of the four bands performed two individual songs, including “Covington Square” by James Swearington, “American Fanfare” by Rick Kirby and “Lux Aurumque” by Eric Whitacre. Mr. Adam Gohr and Mr. Dustin Helvie worked together to conduct each band throughout the performance.
As the name suggests, “American Fanfare,” performed by the Symphonic Winds, has a patriotic feel with its riffs and runs, as well as incorporating a mix of slow and melodic tunes with more enthusiastic notes.
The concert concluded with the Wind Ensemble, the band with the highest skill level, playing “Symphonic Dance No. 3 ‘Fiesta’” by Clifton Williams, pulling together a playful mix of melodies to represent the background of San Antonio, Texas, and its many Mexican celebrations.
“I feel like [the Wind Emsemble], as a group, went pretty well [tonight],” senior percussionist Harry Plohr said, who’s been playing since 4th grade. “I feel like some challenges were some really hard parts, individually, but overall, I think we stayed pretty calm.”
The bands made it through the concert, weaving together a fun performance that made way for a great start for the new freshman, a bittersweet beginning to the end for the seniors and an experience for all.
“[I hope that we] just get better and improve….from where we are now,” Plohr said. “As long as we get better, as a band, it’ll really help us out.”
This piece by Michael Markowski was the fourth song of the night. This song encourages the idea of self-discovery, inspired by Captain Kirk’s famous words introducing the TV show, “Star Trek.” Markowski’s unique style of composing is influenced by his undergraduate studies in film.
As the fifth song of the night, this piece by John Mackey uses soft melodies that eventually build up, until it all stops, creating a sense of nostalgia. Mackey has written multiple pieces for bands such as the New York Youth Symphony and the Dallas Theater Center.
As the first Wind Ensemble song, this piece by Eric Whitacre was inspired by Edward Esch’s poem, expressing elements of gracefulness and simplicity. “I thought [the Wind Ensemble] did a beautiful job with [“Lux Aurumque”],” Mr. Gohr said. “[The fact] that they were able to play so tastefully and musically with great tone and intonation this early in the year speaks well for their work so far.”
