North Port High School Band performs “The Greatest Showman!”
Tuesday, April 27th at 7:30 to 8 p.m.
Dr. Owen Bradley conducting “Selections from the Greatest Showman” arranged by Murtha performed by the wind ensemble.
May 11, 2021
On the 27th of April, North Port’s Wind and Jazz ensemble hosted a concert. Additionally, prior to the concert, students were inaugurated into the Tri-M Music Honor Society, a group filled with many musical talents. All of the officers were present for the ceremony, including President Joey French, Vice-President Camilla Filmanowicz, Secretary Alycia Wright, Historian Bianca Vidal, and Treasurer Jessica Wilcek. The officers introduced themselves and explained what Tri-M was and why it was an honor to be inducted. The students who were welcome in the group were Drew Desrosiers, Daniel Kubai, Gabriel Lehman, Azarya Poole, Nolan Stilwell-Carroll, and Amelia Stults. All of the new members were called to the stage one by one to be specially recognized. Once all of the new members were introduced, they all took the Tri-M oath. After that, the concert began.
First, the wind ensemble’s pieces were presented. The two songs they performed were ‘The Hounds of Spring,’ by Alfred Reed, and selections from ‘The Greatest Showman,’ by Murtha. Dr. Bradley tells the audience that the first piece was considered a tragic romance. The Hounds of Spring was an extremely difficult song to play and took hours of blood, sweat, and tears to perfect. The song is around ten minutes long and filled with extremely difficult runs and rhythms. It starts off with runs and a fun, lightweight feeling. The middle section is slower and features the french horns, and includes a soft melody that seems to float through the air. Right after the section comes to an end, it picks back up for the third part. This is filled with rushing runs and lots of solis (parts where individual sections play) and picks up in difficulty. It ends with a bang and was one of the hardest songs this band has played.
Then, the next few pieces were songs inspired by the film ‘The Greatest Showman.’ The medley included The Greatest Show, A Million Dreams, Never Enough, This is Me, and From Now on. There were multiple solos, and they were absolutely beautiful. Karen Cascante played the flute solo for A Million Dreams, Ethan Youmans played the baritone solo for Never Enough, and Joey French played the saxophone solo for This is Me. Overall, the concert and induction was an absolute success, and one of the best performances the Wind Ensemble has ever had.
After about a good hour of the wind ensemble’s performance, it was time for them to leave as the jazz group was coming up next. They played songs such as Buckjump, Route 66, and Doxy. This lasted for the last hour and half of the concert and ended with a select few jazz players performing an improvised piece of their own.
At the end of the day, everybody enjoyed the second to last concert they had. Everyone seemed to be tired though and rushed to leave the premises leaving only a few adults around. Many of the pieces played tonight were incredibly moving and felt the passion within the performances played. Next year, Dr. Bradley hopes to hold a class trip to Orlando. He is unsure if it will ever become a reality, but he hopes that with the support of parents, students, the school, and volunteers, that it will be possible. Music will additionally continue to be bigger and ensure great performances.
