Annual All-Lindy Concert a Rousing Success

Last night the seven elementary schools of the Lindenhurst school district united as one in the name of what many call the universal language: music.

The department of fine and performing arts presented its annual All-Lindy Concert on March 24 to a packed house at the auditorium.

According to Rose Marvel, coordinator of fine and performing arts for the district, this year's brought together fifth-graders from all seven of Lindenhurst's elementary schools.

"The children were selected by their teachers to perform tonight," she said. "There's a band, orchestra, jazz and chorus teacher here, and they each worked with the students after school for about 10 weeks to put the program together.

“The program is to mimic what we'd call a Suffolk County All-County music festival, so the music is a little more challenging than what they'd play at their normal concerts."

Marvel said that the benefit of the for students was two-fold.

"The importance of an all-district is not only to give them a great musical performance experience," she said, "but it's also a social experience for them as well, since it's one of the first times they get to meet and perform with each other across the district and learn from each other, prior to actually going up to the middle school."

"It's wonderful for them," Marvel added. "It certainly allows them to grow as musicians and to grow as little people, if you will."

Up first was the All-Lindy Jazz Band, led by director John McLendon.

"The music is definitely much more difficult for them," he said. "This is their first exposure to jazz, and the kids have learned to improvise."

McLendon's band, many adorned in shades for that hip Jazz attitude, belted out classics such as All Blues by Miles Davis and Frankenstein by Edgar Winter.

Next was the All-Lindy Chorus, led by director Philip Ricciardi, who seemed especially proud of his talented students.

"They really worked very hard every week," he said. "They were very focused, and they have a very musical approach to what they do. They sing from their heart, but they also sing with their head, and they were a pleasure to work with."

Coordinating travel plans to get students from all over the district to practice together each and every week wasn't the nightmare you might expect.

"It would have been difficult, but the parents and teachers are very cooperative," he said. "So, with everyone working together, it all worked out."

The All-Lindy Chorus entranced the crowd with renditions of One Short Day by Stephen Schwartz and Dona Nobis Pacem by Bach.

Then All-Lindy Orchestra took to the stage. Director Paul Cronin had admitted that it was rough going early on in rehearsals.

"Some of the rhythms we had to work on a little bit, but then we got it," he said. "The last couple of weeks they were really in shape, getting into performance mode. We really got it together."

The Orchestra especially wowed the audience with a variation on the American folk song When the Saints Go Marchin' In.

Last, but certainly not least, were Albert White and his All-Lindy Band.

White pointed out that some of the students who performed were going through a mini-musical marathon of sorts.

"Some of these kids are performing in up to three groups," he said. "Some of them are doing jazz, chorus, and band, and some of them are doing jazz, orchestra, and band, and so on. There's nobody who's in four, however...we couldn't handle that!"

Selections masterfully played by the band included Procession of Heroes by Robert Smith and Festival of the Gladiators by Mark Williams.

was in attendance, and was obviously quite taken with the show.

"These are our best musicians, singers and instrumentalists from our seven elementary schools," he said. "This is really a joyous evening...it represents the talent of Lindenhurst and that we want to preserve [as the district goes through the process]."