From fifth grade to seniors in high school, students in USD 490 demonstrated their musical talents during the annual Band Regalement Tuesday evening at the Band Shell in Forrest Park.
The program began with the fifth grade band performing “O Waly, Waly (The Water is Wide)” and “Fire Caves of Golgathon.”
Following them, the sixth graders took the stage to play “Overbrook,” perform a little Swing in “Stray Cat Strut” and play “Through the Eye of the Storm.”
The seventh and eighth grade band was up next to play “Pachelbel’s Canon,” “Peter Gunn,” “The Pink Panther” and “Declaration in Blue.”
The middle school portion of the concert was dedicated to the memory of Fred Wolfe, El Dorado Middle School band director, 1962-1988.
Following the middle school, the high school students took the stage.
They began their performance with “Vehicle,” with solos by Ian Ingram, Stewart Kelley and Michael Riedl.
Next was “Overtura,” a concert number, with solos by Nicole Zepeda, Tashina Smith and Kelley.
They also played “Zia Zia,” a Spanish march, before Martin Munoz, director of the bands, announced the awards the students had earned this year.
First he recognized the sixth, seventh and eighth graders who went to honors band and went to State for a solo or ensemble performance.
At the high school level, he recognized those who went to the State music festival, including Caitlin Coley on oboe, Stuart Kelley on trumpet and Brandon Hasting, with a percussion solo.
Coley also was the only student to play with the State Honor Band, with four students playing in the District Honor Band, Jared Erpelding, Rebecca Whitfield and Tashina Smith on clarinet and Coley on oboe.
The high school students also attended the Winter Park Music Festival in Colorado on April 16. There the EHS drumline received a Best in Show award and Outstanding Performance for class 3A. The color guard received a runner-up award and outstanding performance in their class. The concert band received a superior performance award in class 3A.
Following the awards, the senior band students were recognized. They had all received a senior medallion.
One final award was presented. The John Phillip Sousa Award was presented to EHS senior Patrick Wilson.
The concert concluded with the EHS band performing “Stars and Stripes Forever,” which was composed by Sousa.
