Under the direction of Mike Major

Program

"Mars, the Bringer of War" from The Planets by Gustav Holst, arranged by Jay Bocook

The Planets is an orchestral suite -- what composer Gustav Holst called, “a series of mood pictures” -- where each movement depicts one planet. The suite contains seven movements: although eight planets were known to exist (Pluto had not yet been discovered, much less demoted), Earth is at the center in the astrological scheme.

Mars, The Bringer of War, emphasizes brass and low brass in 5/4 rhythm. Blatant dissonance and the unconventional meter suggest the influence of Stravinsky. "The most ferocious piece of music in existence" evokes a battle scene of immense proportion. Holst directed that it be played slightly faster than a regular march, giving it a mechanized and inhuman character.

Gustav Holst (1874-1934) was a classical British composer. Born into a musical family, he played piano and violin, and began composing when he was about twelve. He served as a church organist and choirmaster. When neuritis in his right hand forced him away from the organ he took up the trombone and succeeded as an orchestral musician. Holst was influenced by socialism, and attended lectures by George Bernard Shaw with whom he shared a passion for vegetarianism. He became deeply interested in Hindu philosophy and learned Sanskrit. He dabbled in astrology, and read astrological fortunes until his death. He was appointed Director of Music at St. Paul's Girls School in Hammersmith. He became interested in old English folksongs and Tudor composers. Holst's compositions for wind band guaranteed him a position as the medium's cornerstone, as seen in the many present-day programs featuring his two Suites for Military Band.

Highlights from Harry Potter by John Williams, arranged by Michael Story

The music of the Harry Potter film series was recorded and released in conjunction with the post-production and releases of each of the eight corresponding films. The scores were composed by John Williams, Patrick Doyle, Nicholas Hooper, and Alexandre Desplat. Musicians credited with writing source music include Jarvis Cocker, The Ordinary Boys and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Jeremy Soule and James Hannigan wrote the music for the Harry Potter video games.

Each film's complete score is currently being performed live to picture by local orchestras in venues throughout the world through The Harry Potter Film Concert Series, produced by CineConcerts in partnership with Warner Brothers. There have been over 1,370 performances in 48 countries, with over 2.6 million fans experiencing the music performed live with the full movie projected on a giant screen.

3, 2, 1 . . . by Brian Balmages

Everyone is still. The countdown begins. And in a single moment, adrenaline surges in an eruption of energy and power. Commissioned by the Indiana Bandmasters Association, this piece has roots in the Indy 500; however, as I began working on the piece, I realized that there is a universal response to nearly any countdown -- it could be a race, a launch, or a multitude of other scenarios. 3, 2, 1... explores the building moments ahead of the countdown as well as the unleashing of energy immediately afterward.

"The opening mood certainly anticipates what is coming. It follows my own personal experiences waiting for "the moment." At first, harmonies all move together -- there is a feeling of order and calm. As the event approaches, harmonies continue to change but voices linger, obscuring the harmonic language just slightly. What follows is the musical equivalent of getting shot out of a cannon. It is highly intense and aggressive as the event begins. While this entire section is based on the music from the opening, it goes through many harmonic shifts and meter changes to make everything feel entirely new, yet familiar. There are musical peaks and valleys despite the nonstop rhythmic drive, and everything ultimately builds towards the powerful ending."

Personnel

Flute

Brenna Holland

Adriana Pelayo

Angelina Perez

Judith Puente

Evelyn Santillan De Leon

Stephanie Sauceda

Bassoon

Luis Gonzalez

Armando Guajardo

Clarinet

Aileen Aguilar Ochoa

Elizabeth Alvarez

Alyssa Cervantes

Sophia Chavez

Aaron Del Campo

Ariel Easter

Frederick Goins

Juan Gonzalez Jr

Shelletta Grignion

Fabian Perez

Alto Sax

Carlos Alba Torres

Luis Guel

Jacelyn Miles

Joshua Torres

Tenor Sax

Marco Nieto

Trumpet

Haven Crabb

Jordan Guerrero Gonzalez

Ian Hernandez Perez

Eric Jaimes

Mauricio Medina

Lizbeth Morales

Nicholas Raygoza

Steven Rodriguez

Kalani Webb

Horn

Francisco Romero Jr

Giselle Villafuerte

Trombone

Alexis Bahena

Gabriel Cabrera

Kevin Maya-Ramos

Euphonium

Omar Cardenas

Gavynn Herod

Jesus Tijerina Jr

Tuba

Ethan Carroll

Emilio Jimenez

Percussion

Madyson Bermudez

Daniel Guzman

John Patino

Kyara Strawther

John John Vazquez III

Awards & Honors

26 Students Earned MISD All-City Honors

Brenna Holland, Flute*

Stephanie Sauceda, Flute

Armando Guajardo, Bassoon

Luis Gonzalez, Bassoon

Alexander Agee, Clarinet

Frederick Goins, Clarinet

Elizabeth Alvarez, Clarinet

Shelletta Grignion, Clarinet

Juan Gonzalez Jr, Clarinet

Allison Ibarra-Bastian, Clarinet

Alyssa Cervantes, Clarinet

Luis Guel, Alto Sax

Jacelyn Miles, Alto Sax

Marco Nieto, Tenor Sax*

Lizbeth Morales, Trumpet

Haven Crabb, Trumpet

Kevin Maya-Ramos, Trombone

Juan Lopez Cruz, Trombone

Alexis Bahena, Trombone

Fernando May Murillo, Euphonium*

Omar Cardenas, Euphonium

Gavynn Herod, Euphonium

Ethan Carroll, Tuba

Josue Nolasco, Tuba

Emilio Jimenez, Tuba

Daniel Guzman, Percussion

*Denotes first chair

15 Students Earned TMEA All-Region Honors

Brenna Holland, Flute

Alexander Agee, Clarinet

Allison Ibarra-Bastian, Clarinet

Elizabeth Alvarez, Clarinet

Shelletta Grignion, Clarinet

Haven Crabb, Trumpet

Lizbeth Morales, Trumpet

Kevin Maya-Ramos, Trombone

Juan Lopez Cruz, Trombone

Alexis Bahena, Trombone

Fernando May Murillo, Euphonium

Omar Cardenas, Euphonium

Gavynn Herod, Euphonium

Emilio Jimenez, Tuba

Josue Nolasco, Tuba

Earned 79 1st Division Medals at the Solo & Ensemble Contest

22 Soloists Earned a 1st Division with Honors

Brenna Holland, Flute

Adriana Pelayo, Flute

Judith Puente, Flute

Evelyn Santillan De Leon, Flute

Stephanie Sauceda, Flute

Alexander Agee, Clarinet

Elizabeth Alvarez, Clarinet

Sophia Chavez, Clarinet

Aaron Del Campo, Clarinet

Ariel Easter, Clarinet

Frederick Goins, Clarinet

Shelletta Grignion, Clarinet

Allison Ibarra-Bastian, Clarinet

Fabian Perez, Clarinet

Carlos Alba Torres, Alto Sax

Luis Guel, Alto Sax

Joshua Torres, Alto Sax

Marco Nieto, Tenor Sax

Lizbeth Morales, Trumpet

Omar Cardenas, Euphonium

Emilio Jimenez, Tuba

John Patino, Percussion

3 Ensembles Earned a 1st Division with Honors

Flutes

Clarinets

Low Brass & Low Reeds

Earned Superior Ratings at the Poteet Concert Evaluation

Earned Superior Ratings at the UIL Concert & Sight Reading Evaluation

Spirit of the Reed Award

Shelletta Grignion

Director's Award for Band

Brenna Holland

Special thanks to...

Kayla Crowley

McDonald Assistant Band Director

Andrew Pouttu

McDonald Percussion Director

Scott Rives

North Mesquite Band Director

Lance Walker

North Mesquite Assistant Band Director