March Concert

On Thursday, March 13th, the Corvallis High School Bands presented a concert. The concert was opened with a proclamation by the City of Corvallis Mayor, Charlie Tomlinson. The proclamation declared an official observation as March is Music in Our School month established by the national MENC. This year’s theme is Music Touches Lives! Following the proclamation by the Mayor, all three CHS bands performed.

The combined Concert and Symphonic bands presented their three pieces they have prepared for the District Band Festival on March 18th. The three pieces demonstrated their musical growth this year with Soar Like an Eagle, Hymn from Vespers and To Challenge the Sky and Heaven Above. The composer for Soar Like an Eagle dedicated the piece to flying a glider with the feeling of air turbulence, the sound of a flock of birds and the soaring updrafts. Rachmaninoff’s Hymn is a beautiful piece from the Russian Orthodox Church with the chant-like melody set in a band arrangement. To Challenge… is dedicated to an area in Huntsville, Alabama and the NASA space center that develops rocket boosters. This set of music was selected to meet the criteria for band festivals. Their concert performance was very good and the music was very exciting, even “uplifting.”                                                                                      

The CHS Blue Tones, fresh off their participation with the Essentially Ellington program out of Lincoln Center in New York, performed four charts with various solos by Dylan Garity, Joseph Kleinhenz, James Ingalls, Claire Froelich, Michael Grant, Aaron Mock, Stephan Smith, Brian McFadden and Alice Anderson. 

The Blue Tones performed Now’s the Time, The Mooche, Steppin’ Around and One Mint Julep. The Blue Tones are looking forward to their next upcoming gigs: Jazz Night, Jazz Band Dance and the final concert on May 21st.

The CHS Wind Ensemble performed three pieces preparing them for the upcoming band festivals at Districts and League. They performed Emperata Overture, Salvation is Created and Rumble on the High Plains. Their performance was stunning, from the great brass fanfare in the beginning of Emperata, to the rich and majestic and full mature sound in Salvation to the closing piece with the exhilarating percussion. Their performance was very rewarding, very fulfilling, and very satisfying.