Instrumental Class Music Concert 

On May 29th, the South Cafeteria was filled with sounds of wind, brass, and percussion instruments as various instrumental classes took the stage to showcase their learning from the current semester. Under the guidance of Ms. Proulx and Mr. Dooley, the aspiring musicians set up an evening of wonderful repertoire!

1. Grade 10 Instrumental Class 

The grade 10 music class played three different pieces: one titled “Proclamation” by Pearson, another, “Choreography” by Robert Sheldon, and “Glen Miller”, arranged by Murtha. The opening song, Proclamation, was slow at first but gradually increased in pace. Starting with most of the instruments at once, the piece sounded exactly as the name suggests: a cheerful welcoming. The second piece, Choreography, had a surprising start and off-beat accents to follow. It also had intervals, with one fast-paced beat alternating with a slow one. The last piece, Glen Miller, was the only swing music-inspired ensemble. It focused on contemporary genres such as jazz, and included two solos by two brave students. It had a faster beat than the previous pieces, and also included a speaking part where all members of the grade 10 class spoke bits of the lyrics. And as this was such an upbeat song, the audience started clapping to the beat, creating a memorable experience for the class.

2. Grade 9 Class

The first piece played by the grade 9 mainstream music class was called “Aztec Sunrise” - a sad song created by Hodges. This song was described by Ms. Proulx as having a “funeral march” atmosphere. The ninth graders had to focus on maintaining balance throughout the entire song, creating a mostly consistent pace. It started with the bass section which was slowly joined by the drums. This beat sounded cautious, providing an air of slow uncertainty. Then the next piece played was “Of District Peaks” by Robert Sheldon. This piece was very cinematic and sounded similar to the start of a movie. It had slow but big energy, and entertained the entire audience. It was also heavily reliant on the wind family, but included quite a bit of quieter percussion. 

3. Ms. Proulx’s Lunchtime Music Class

The class played Samuel R. Hazo’s “As Wind Dances”, an upbeat song with a repeating thematic phrase of quarter notes and eighth notes. Resembling a movie soundtrack, the piece had an emphasis on balance between the various instrument groups, creating a sense of excitement in the audience. The contrasting phrase was a melody featuring the flutes, clarinets, and other high woodwind instruments. After that, the first phrase was repeated by the clarinets, saxophones, and brass instruments until the other sections were added again. The conclusion of the piece was dramatic and strong. The lunchtime class moved on to their second and final piece, called “Rain Dance” by Dean Sorensen, which began with the melody played by the saxophones. The clarinets and flutes joined in, leading to the middle section that featured a slightly contrasting phrase. The bass and brass instruments then repeated the introduction while the other sections clapped along. As  all the instruments joined together, the final phrase featured a melody from the saxophones. The piece ended with a repetition of the rhythmic motif from the beginning, concluding the group’s performance. 

4. Mr. Dooley’s Lunchtime Music Class 

The second lunchtime music class began by playing “Legends”, a medieval suite composed by Ryan Nowlin. Of the three pieces, the first one, called “Once Upon A Time…”, was quiet and slow. The melody transferred from the flutes to the trumpets and alto saxophones as the composition reached the climax. “Trouble and Triumph”, the second piece, started softly with a soli played by the clarinets. It gradually grew stronger as instruments joined one after another to support the harmonious sound. After a distinct and fierce melody by the trumpets, alto saxophones, and French horns, the theme from the first piece was once again played by the flutes to support the ending. The third and final piece started off strong, led by an energetic melody from the alto saxophones and trumpets. This phrase was repeated twice until a softer melody was played by the flutes in the mid-section. The composition ended off strong with the slow bass instruments showcasing a harmonious final chord! After the suite, the class switched over to a contemporary jazz song called “Bossa Caribe”, which showcased the different instrument sections in groups (e.g. trumpets and flutes, alto saxophones and flutes, percussion, etc.)

5. Grade 9 Mass Band 

The evening ended with a mass band, composed of Ms. Proulx’s grade 9 instrumental and lunchtime classes, as well as Mr. Dooley’s lunchtime class. They played “Gregorian Chant and Ritual”, which had a slow and soft introduction that led into a strong and upbeat middle section. After a quiet melody was played by the flutes, with accompaniment from the clarinets and alto saxophones, the song transitioned to a stronger melody supported by all the instrumental sections. The song repeated the middle segment once more and then showed off its thematic phrase one more time for the conclusion of the performance. 

Overall, the performances were a massive success for the various classes. They showed off the incredible dedication that the instrumental students, as well as the music department, have at WOSS. Ms. Proulx even stated that she was very proud of all the groups who participated, including the bands that performed at the Spring Concert.