West Yellowstone High School's musicians ROCKED THE HOUSE at District Music Festival! Both the band and the choir earned I (Superior) ratings for their prepared performances. In sight reading, the band earned a II and the choir earned a I with only 2 points away from a perfect score. I am so proud of the accomplishments of these young musicians!
We really took a big chance when we committed to performing Cantate Domino, a harmonically complex, 3-part a cappella piece in Latin. We really struggled with it, and I honestly worried that I had made a terrible mistake by choosing such a difficult piece. Fortunately, everyone buckled down and took on the challenge. When we performed, the harmonies fell into place, the phrasing flowed beautifully, and we all locked in together in synergistic expression. Holy goose bumps, Batman! The judges LOVED our little choir and praised their musicality, courage and determination.
We also took a huge chance with the grade IV Owens arrangement of Holst's "Mars" from The Planets. A few days before festival I admitted to the band that I had a back up plan - a much easier grade III arrangement of Mars that would be far more appropriate for a highly accomplished 7-12 band from a rural, Class C school. With a great deal of hard work, we managed to learn and modify parts in order to conquer the challenges of this difficult arrangement that is far more appropriate for an advanced high school band. While I appreciate the Superior rating granted by our judges, I regret that they did not mention how VERY remarkable and unusual it is for a 7-12 band to successfully tackle such a challenging piece of music and render such a moving and musical performance.
We really took a big chance when we committed to performing Cantate Domino, a harmonically complex, 3-part a cappella piece in Latin. We really struggled with it, and I honestly worried that I had made a terrible mistake by choosing such a difficult piece. Fortunately, everyone buckled down and took on the challenge. When we performed, the harmonies fell into place, the phrasing flowed beautifully, and we all locked in together in synergistic expression. Holy goose bumps, Batman! The judges LOVED our little choir and praised their musicality, courage and determination.
We also took a huge chance with the grade IV Owens arrangement of Holst's "Mars" from The Planets. A few days before festival I admitted to the band that I had a back up plan - a much easier grade III arrangement of Mars that would be far more appropriate for a highly accomplished 7-12 band from a rural, Class C school. With a great deal of hard work, we managed to learn and modify parts in order to conquer the challenges of this difficult arrangement that is far more appropriate for an advanced high school band. While I appreciate the Superior rating granted by our judges, I regret that they did not mention how VERY remarkable and unusual it is for a 7-12 band to successfully tackle such a challenging piece of music and render such a moving and musical performance.
Coming soon: Comments on Solo/Ensemble Festival 2014