Liberty High School’s array of bands came together to play a mesmerizing winter concert on February 13th 2024. This concert was under the direction of conductors Adam Gohr, Dustin Helvie, and a student teacher from Illinois State University, Noah Lampell. The performance also features the soloist Annie Brody, a very well-accomplished French horn player who has been in the practice for over 7 years.
The concert began with the piece “Detour” created by Brian Blume, who was part of an army band that had the opportunity to play internationally and even was able to play in front of the president at the time. The song features a prominent role in the snare drum and the xylophone.
Closing out the percussion Ensemble, the song “Brazilian Dreams” brought to life a more latin aspect to the stage. The piece mixes pieces of mallet and conga, trying to bring out a more calm tone to the song. The performance was meant to honor the rhythm and feeling of Brazilian Jazz. The composer Edward Freytag studied at University of Tennessee on which he focused on jazz, he then went on to play with massive names like Aretha Franklin and Dizzy Gillespie.
The Symphonic band entered the concert with a piece by the name of “Halcyon Hearts”. A relatively smooth song with a higher pitch to accentuate a feeling of happiness throughout the piece, with a slowed down portion represented by the brass. The composer Katahj Copley is an educator from Georgia who has managed to write over 100 pieces. They are now studying for their Masters degree in music composition at the University of Texas and Austin.
The symphonic band closed out their portion of the concert with an amazing performance of the piece called “Symphony No. 4.” The symphony is composed of 4 distinct pieces, each revolving around a different, distinct tempo. Almost as if the audience is going up and down on a roller coaster throughout the performance. The composer Andrew Boyson has a doctorate of Musical arts in wind conducting. He still composes to this day at all levels.
The symphonic wind portion of the concert started off with the piece “A Slavic Farewell”. The song highlights the brass portion of the band with a fast pace, attempting to bring forth an almost frantic feeling to the audience. The composer of the piece, Vasilij Agapkin joined the Russian army after a scarring childhood where he found love for music, eventually being able to be one of the main organizers in the Red Square Victory Parade.
The symphonic wind band followed with the piece “Of Endless Miles and Empty Rafts” by Michele Fernández. The song has a main focus on an increasing feeling of fierceness carried by the performance of the percussion supporting them. Fernández’s work has featured in a myriad of venues and publications as well as being a school composer for over 30 years.
The last song of the symphonic wind portion included the song “Ignition” by Todd Stalter. The piece projects very loud dynamics and intense notes to try and make the audience feel as if they were energized, or ignited. Stalter received a Masters in Trumpet performance at Illinois State University. His songs have appeared all around the world at band festivals and competitions.
The Wind Ensemble started out the last leg of the concert with the song “The Glass Bead Game” by James Beckel Jr. The song is a French horn concerto performed by soloist Annie Brody with the use of detailed melodies and echos that form together into a support for the outstanding French horn performance. Beckel graduated from Indiana University and got a role in the Indiana Symphony at only 20 years old. He also taught in Indianapolis and DePauw.
The concert came to an end with the piece “Symphony No. 3” by Boris Kozhevnikov. The symphony consisted of 4 pieces based on classic pieces of folklore from the composer’s home city of Novgorod. The four movements mainly featuring brass created a fast-paced and exhilarating performance for the audience. Kozhevnikov created a total of five symphonies, the one performed in this concert was arranged for the United States Marine Band.
The Winter band’s next performance is the Winter Orchestra on February 27th in the Libertyville High School auditorium.
