On March 25, the PV Band seniors played what would be their last concert on the Pleasant Valley High School stage.
All the music played during the concert is chosen by the senior musicians. They voted upon the music they played in previous years to play for the concert. Additionally, the seniors got to choose the songs for the Concert Band from the repertoire the seniors played their freshman year.
The concert was split into two parts. The first part was a solo performance by the Concert Band, directed by Tara Daurer. They played the following songs: “The King Across the Water”, “Quad City Stomp”, and “Zoom”.
After a brief intermission, the Symphonic Band, directed by Brian Gardner, played to start the second part of the concert. They played “Clouds That Sail in Heaven”, “Smoke and Mirrors”, and “Alchemy: Spirit Into Sound”.
Next, the Wind Ensemble, conducted by Rob Medd, filled the theater with the tunes “English Folk Song Suite”, “Shadow Rituals”, and “March of the Trolls”.
Prior to the conclusion of the concert was the ceremony honoring the senior musicians. Each senior had their named called, cueing a walk across the theater, where they were given a rose to give to their parents. The walk was concluded with a loving embrace from their family.
The final performance came from the Wind Symphony, directed by Drew Anderson and Callen Brown. Their performance contained the pieces, “Festive Overture”; “Concerto in E flat”, featuring Aman Manazir on the Alto saxophone; “Suite in E flat”; “Concerto for Two Clarinets in E flat Maj. Op. 91, 3rd Movement”, starring a duet performed by All-State clarinetists Kaitlyn Ryan and Shreya Khurjekar; and “Angels In the Architecture”, with a singing solo coming from senior Liv Penniston.
Senior band member Joel Kachappilly talked about why he loved the Senior Concert. “One of the best parts of Senior Concert is the fact that we get to pick our own music and play pieces that we played earlier in high school. It creates a sense of nostalgia and fun because we are able to remember how cool it was to play those pieces the first time and how we’ve grown since then,” Kachappilly said.
Concert Band director Tara Daurer shared her thoughts about the concert. “It’s always the most special concert of the year because it’s our opportunity to honor the seniors for their involvement, leadership, and musicianship over the past seven years. I think all of the bands did a great job and performed at a very high level.”
