As
our school year winds down I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all
of the students, Music Boosters
and parents for a very successful and enjoyable year. It was quite busy
and an event-filled.
The
year was the first here for Dr. Paul McGovern, who did a great job with
the choral program. What
he programmed and how the choral groups performed was impressive. We are
very hopeful about the
future for chorus at CEHS.
I
was very pleased with and proud of the work of the instrumental music
students this year. Each concert
for the Symphony Band and Wind Symphony seemed stronger than the previous
one, and there was much
growth. The jazz ensembles and combos distinguished themselves at Berklee,
the district qualifying round
and the state jazz festival.
The
concert bands tackled some of the most difficult and sophisticated music
(including Frank Ticheli's
landmark "Vesuvius" and Robert Smith's "Trail of
Dreams") that we have attempted in my seven years here.
The
Concert Jazz Ensemble performed to a standing ovation in the state jazz
finals, the self directed combo
won the state championship, the Tuesday Combo placed second and the
Repertory Jazz Ensemble charted
new educational territory as a group that performs exclusively important
literature from the early days of jazz.
This group, modeled after Jazz at theLincln Center, is unique in these
parts. The Thursday Combo and
Thursday Jazz Ensemble joined with these groups to provide a strong Cape
representation at the state festival.
It was the first time in the festival's history that a school had six
groups qualify for the state event.
Where
do we go from here?
Planning
is well underway for 2009-2010. On the docket for the Wind Symphony and
Symphony Band are
pieces by Frank Ticheli (including his wonderful Columbine tribute,
"American Elegy" and the very fun
"Abracadabre" for the Symphony Band), Richard Saucedo (the
beautiful "Dreamsong" and the maniacal
"Theme and Tirade"), Percy Grainger and Samuel Hazo (
"Arabesque.")
Terry
White and I are very excited about next year's jazz curriculum. Repertory
Jazz will be dedicating its
year to the wonderful composer/alto player Benny Carter and performing
works made famous by Carter,
Louis Armstrong and Lester Young. Terry will be arranging all this music.
Concert Jazz will be playing works
by Carter (the blues "Doozy"), Duke Ellington and Mario Bauza
(the wonderful Afro-Cuban piece "Zambia." )
The Thursday Band will study music by Count Basie.
I
can't wait to get started!
TL