This past Thursday, April 25th, the Spring Concert, titled “AYO”, took place in the auditorium. The concert, a perfect culmination of the efforts put in by the music department this year, featured the Junior, Intermediate, and Senior Concert Bands. Conducted by Dr. Dean Markel and Mr. Rob Murray, it marked a celebration of each student’s journey this year as a musician. For some, this was their first Spring Concert, while for others, it was a bittersweet ending to their high school musical career.
The first band to take the stage was the Junior Concert Band. Comprised of solely grade 8 students, the Junior Band is often seen as an introductory-level ensemble. However, this year, their quality was outstanding. They performed three pieces: Cait Nishimura’s “Into the Blue”, Hans Le Hassler’s “Meditation”, and Larry Daehn’s “British Isles Suite”. For a Junior Band, their intonation was excellent, and in particular, their oboe section was delightful. The contrast between the pieces was beautiful and kept the audience engaged. Look out for these students as they join the Intermediate Band next year.
The second ensemble to perform was the Intermediate Concert Band. Similarly to the Junior Band, this band consists of grade 9 students. Their repertoire this year was Franck Erickson’s “Toccata for Band” and “Air for Band”, along with Johnnie Vinson’s “Armenian Rhapsody”. The improvement that these students have shown since last year is staggering. Despite being a smaller
band, these musicians packed a punch and delivered a stellar performance. Congratulations Intermediate Band!
The final band was the Senior Concert Band. It is made up of students from grades 10-12. The band played four pieces: Katahj Copley’s “Ayo!” and “Starlight”, along with Cécile Chaminade’s “Concertino”—featuring Chris Guo—and Gustav Holst’s “Jupiter”. As written above, soloist Chris Guo ’24, this year’s concerto competition winner, performed “Concertino” with the band. For Chris, it has been a long time coming. A spectacular flautist, Chris embodies the perfect St. George’s School musician. He is dedicated, talented, and always makes time to help others out. Congratulations Chris and well done with your performance! The rest of the performance was delightful. In particular, “Jupiter” seemed to be a fan favourite.
As the Senior Band played their final note, it seemed as though the concert
had come to an end. However, while the band sat on stage, Mr. David Young, the Head of School, came down to make a few statements. He remarked how fortunate we are to experience such a display of art and musical excellence and thanked the musicians along with their families for their dedication to the program. Afterwards, the annual band awards were handed out. Most notably, Jack Zhang ’24 won Most Outstanding Senior Band Musician. Finally, it was time for the graduating musicians to receive their certificates. As each grad marched across the stage, it marked the completion of their high school musical experience. Best of luck to all the grads next year!
And last but not least, this concert could not have happened without the work of the music department. Dr. Dean Markel, Mr. Rob Murray, and Mr. Luke Vincent all devoted hours upon hours to make this concert happen. Thank you to all the teachers!
If you would still like to catch one more concert, the Jazz Bands and Wind Ensemble will be performing at the Junior School on May 24th. The show is in the evening so don’t miss it!
