The Highland Park High School Bands will present their annual Spring Concert on Thursday, May 3rd, at 7 pm in the Main Auditorium at Highland Park High School. The concert will feature performances by the Concert Band, Wind Ensemble, and the Wind Symphony. Admission is free
The Spring Concert features lighter music but with a variety of styles. The Concert Band will open the program with “Critical Mass” followed by “Danse Bacchanale” by Camille Saint-Saens. The Concert Band will conclude with the movie music from “How to Train Your Dragon” conducted by senior teaching assistant Spencer Hile, who has served as a teaching assistant with the Concert Band for the past two years. The Wind Ensemble will open their portion of the program with the first movement of Ralph Vaughan Williams’ “Folk Song Suite.” A new composition, by Texas composer John Mackey, titled “Foundry” will feature a plethora of percussion sounds along with the band to simulate an iron works. The Wind Ensemble will conclude with “Soaring With John Williams,” a medley featuring music from “Superman”, “Cadillac of the Skies” from “Empire of the Sun”, and the main title music from “Stars Wars”
The Wind Symphony will open with “Fanfare to A New Era,” originally composed for the US Air Force Band. Highland Park composer and former conductor of the Elgin Symphony, Robert Hanson, will guest conduct the premier of his new work for wind band titled “Dance of Two Worlds.” The composition is dedicated to his granddaughter, Alex Swanson, upon her graduation from Highland Park High School. The Wind Symphony portion of the concert will conclude with the music from “The Cowboys,” one of John Williams’ earliest film scores.
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A number of student soloists will be featured on the concert. The french horn section, featuring Scott Beck, Sarah Freeman, Max Schwartz, and Maggie Cullather, will be performing Robert Schumann’s famous “Concertstucke.” Senior clarinetist Alex Swanson, will perform Carl Maria von Weber’s “Concertino,” and senior Manny Schneck will perform Astor Piazolla’s “Tango Etude #6” for unaccompanied alto saxophone.
Each selection of movie music will be accompanied by a visual display of memorable scenes from the respective movies. The concert is sure to be an audience’s favorite so don’t miss it!
