The James Hart Bands have enjoyed a fall trimester, entertaining large audiences around Homewood and Flossmoor, representing its community with pride and excellence, and having fun making music together. In mid-September, several James Hart band, choir, and orchestra students prepared excerpts to audition for the Illinois Music Education Association District I Honor Ensembles. Kaitlyn Bolton-Shannon was selected to represent our school in this prestigious ensemble, playing clarinet on a concert in early November alongside 100 of the finest middle school musicians in a 4-county area of the south suburbs. Congratulations also go to band students Dylan Barnas, Alex Bertucci, Korey Mulling, and Ellie Wojcikowski on their selection for the District I Honor Chorus. In October, the Symphonic Band opened up its performance slate at Homewood-Flossmoor High Schools’ annual Youth Night football game. Amid an evening of persistent showers, the band performed alongside the HF Marching Vikings and Parker Symphonic Band in the pregame and halftime shows, as well as in the stands. The 350-strong combined group entertained an audience of thousands with several Top-40 charts en route to a big HF victory! Just over a month later Symphonic Band took the stage, this time along with Varsity Band at the James Hart Bands fall concert on November 7. Many family members and friends dotted the nearly-filled James Hart Gymnasium for an enjoyable evening of music that included settings of several folk songs from around the world, plus a special encore. Later that week the Symphonic Band performed again at James Hart, this time as part of District 153’s annual Veterans Day festivities. Accompanying an outdoor flag-raising ceremony on a chilly, snow-filled morning were trumpet players Bill Colton and Dylan Barnas with a stirring rendition of Taps. After the veterans entered the gym to a standing ovation from the 8th grade class and an orchestral arrangement of the national anthem, the Symphonic Band paid tribute with an arrangement of the service songs of the each of the five branches of the military. In addition to a polished performance that impressed students and staff alike, these outstanding youngsters carried themselves professionally all day in saluting our community’s service members. |
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December 2019
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