Two of our school bands, Concert Band and Wind Ensemble, performed on Wednesday, Feb. 19 in the multi-purpose room. It consisted of eight songs, four from Wind Ensemble and four from Concert Band. Each song had a diverse and interesting sound, making it a fun night for everyone.

First up was Wind Ensemble with “The Sound and Fury.” It was a complicated song with lots of flute, clarinet, and trumpet parts. Then director Brian Murphy led them into a song called “Asian Folk Rhapsody,” a melody consisting of three Asian folk songs, played one after the other. The three songs in the medley were “The Bamboo Flute,” “Sakura,” and “Korean Folk Song.” After the audience’s applause, they played “New World Symphony,” a movement inspired by the New World. When composer Antonín Dvořák came to America, only a few years after the Revolutionary War, he was so impressed by the new country, he made a symphony using several tunes created by the native people. The night was off to a good start.

Wind Ensemble left the stage after lots of applause from the audience. Quickly enough, Concert Band took the stage, and Mr. Murphy started them off with a song called “Seconds Out,” several minutes after they had warmed up. It was an energetic and excited movement, and it kept your attention the whole way through. Up next was “Fantasy on an Irish Air,” a song that played the melody several times, but each time a different instrument got the melody. “National Emblem,” a take on our own American emblem, mastered by Concert Band, was bright and fun. Finally, characterized by Mr. Murphy as having “a pagan feel to it” was “Rites of Tamburo.” It had a haunting melody at the beginning, then all of the instruments wove an elaborate wave of music.

All-in-all, the concert was fun for everyone, and the musicians in the two bands were happy. “It was really fun,” says eighth grader Laura Millsap, who plays the clarinet in Concert Band. “We did pretty good.” Next quarter, we’ll all be excited to see their final concert of the year.