Ensembles perform at high school
Brittany Majerus directed the ensembles at the concert last Tuesday evening. Back, Chayton Lulack. Second row, Joanna Neal, Samantha Garrison, Jessica Cardenas, Mara Winston Front row, Teija Gill, Keely Benson, Andy Ibarra, Bethany Mack, Catherine Powell, Andrea Wood
Woodwinds Daniel Damschen, Joanna Neal, Samantha Garrison and Jessica Cardenas play at last Tuesday's concert.
Ty Cummings, Keira Gill and Josh Eitelberg play trombone during a combined piece with the middle and high school bands.
The High School Choir also performed at Tuesday's concert. From left to right, Nichole Wolery, Mahala Harris, Dominique Kovar, Sierra Joner, Kendall Knight, Anna Buchanan, Ashlyne Hnd
The Plains High School Gym was filled with sound as the school’s music ensembles performed during their Fall Concert last Tuesday evening. The concert featured performances by the High School Band, the Middle School Band, the Percussion Ensemble and the High School Choir. The ensembles are directed by music director Brittany Majerus.
Majerus was impressed with the way that the students performed.
“I think it was excellent,” Majerus said. “I think the kids performed amazing.”
Majerus was thrilled with how smoothly the young musicians were able to transition so smoothly between music of various genres.
According to Majerus, the students’ work with the concert pieces began around the end of September. The concert was scheduled as a performance opportunity after the beginning of the school year, but before the Christmas season.
The choir performed pieces that they have prepared for a festival in Thompson Falls earlier this school year.
Majerus took advantage of the fact that the concert came so close to Veterans Day by adding several patriotic themed pieces.
In choosing the repertoire, Majerus looked for pieces that would work with the group, as well as its instrumentation. Majerus also tried to give the students a challenge.
“I also looked for pieces that the kids would need to work on technically,” Majerus said.
There are also firsts a young band needs to go through.
“This was the first time that they did a Sousa march,” Majerus said, speaking of their performance of a march by the prolific American composer.
The High School Band has 18 members, the Percussion Ensemble has 10, and there are seven choir members and nine Middle School Band members.
Majerus found the response of the students to be very rewarding.
“It’s great to see how excited they are and how good they feel,” Majerus said.
Majerus also felt the students were surprised at how moved the veterans in attendance at the concert were after the combined band and choir performance of “An American Celebration,” a suite of patriotic music.
The next concert will be the Christmas-themed concert, and will be held on the 14th for the middle and high school bands, and on the 16th for the elementary school bands.
For Majerus, the most important thing with the concerts is how the kids feel.
“It’d be pointless, even if they performed really well, if the kids weren’t excited,” Majerus said.