Musical Prowess Proved Yet Again
Symphonic Band Earns Superior
Festival Rating 5th Consecutive
Year
By Margaret
Lipman (March 16, 2006)
For
the fifth year in a row, the George Mason High School Symphonic Band
received an overall superior rating at the Virginia Band and Orchestra
Directors Association District X Band Festival, despite playing their
most challenging music to date. On
Friday, March 3, the band, under the direction of Ms. Mary Jo Webster, received an straight superior ratings from three judges for their prepared
pieces “Noble Men,” “Puzta (Movements I, II, III and IV)” and “Prelude,
Siciliano, and Rondo,” all at the challenging Grade V level.
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The musicians were judged on tone,
intonation, technique, balance, interpretation, and musical effect.
Their performance of “Siciliano,” the second movement
from “Prelude, Siciliano, and Rondo,” was ranked
as one of the festival’s top 10 performances and will be
included on a CD capturing the best performances of the festival.
Capping off the night’s accomplishments, the band also
received a superior rating from the sight-reading judge for their
performance of a Grade III piece. In their comments, the judges
noted the band’s “terrific players with good tone,” “hard
work and very good leadership,” and “beautiful sounds,
both solo and full ensemble.”
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During the
music department’s
recent visit to Disney World in Orlando, members of the chorus
learned choreography with their host Mickey Mouse.
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This
year, the band has grown to its largest size ever, including students
in grades 8 -12. Because of its size and the often conflicting schedules
of its members, band students attend one of four separate classes – Concert
Band, Symphonic Band, Contract Band, and Drums!, the brand-new percussion
class. Sixty - One members of the program from the
Symphonic Band and Contract Band performed at the District X Festival.
Besides
their outstanding festival performance, members of the GMHS band
have garnered recognition throughout the year. After
highly selective auditions in December, 12 students were selected
to perform in All-District Band. Junior
Elena Martinez (clarinet) and seniors Maggie Person (French horn)
and Tina Parsons (bassoon) were selected for the top band, while
juniors Elizabeth Fortenberry (oboe) and Alicia Hartstack (flute),
senior Holly McAlpin (flute), and sophomores Morgan Mascoti (French
horn) and Alex Prewitt (baritone) played in the second band. Eighth-graders
Shelley Gretsko (flute), Tim Goetz (saxophone), Wendy Herbst (clarinet),
and Jenny Lewis (French horn) were selected for the junior band.
In
January, the GMHS Music Department (band and chorus) was selected
by audition to perform in Disney World. Their
performance of Disney selections was on Sunday, January 29th in Orlando at Florida’s Walt Disney World. The group of 100 students who traveled to Florida were greeted
with a breakfast buffet hosted by none other than Mickey Mouse himself. The
group visited many of the theme parks including MGM Studios, Epcot Center, Universal Studios and the Magic Kingdom. Throughout the year, the band has performed
at football games, the JV Show, and the Winter Concert, while various
GMHS ensembles have played at events ranging from the National Honor
Society’s induction ceremony to the Falls Church News Press Christmas
party.
Next,
the band will begin preparing entirely new selections for the Spring
Concert which will feature the seniors as well as perform at Graduation
at Constitution Hall. Soloists and small ensembles will as well be
performing at the Solo and Ensemble Festival on April 22.
