The St. Louis U. High Band and Orchestra program had its year-end concert this past Tuesday, led by Band Director Jeff Pottinger, to celebrate a year of hard work and dedication.

The night started off with a performance by the Fundamentals of Band class, intended for beginners who want to try out or learn a new instrument. Conducted by Pottinger, they performed four songs: William Owens’ “Synergy,” Timothy Loest’s “Court of the Trumpeteers,” Jack Bullock’s arrangement of  John Williams’ “Raider’s March,” and Michael Sweeney’s arrangement of “Celtic Air and Dance No.2.” 

Following Fun Band’s performance was the first of three solos. Senior euphonium player Simon Apprill-Sokol performed Joseph Barat’s “Andante et Allegro.”

 After the solo, the Concert Band took to the stage. The Concert Band played Johnnie Vinson’s “New Forest March,” Michael Sweeney’s “Rock, River, Tree,” and Jay Bocook’s “North Face, Portrait of a Mountain.” Sweeney’s composition is based on Maya Angelou’s poem “On the pulse of Morning,” a poem that urges humanity to find peace in the world by describing nature witnessing countless generations of humanity.

The second solo was from All-State trombone player Edmund Reske, who played Launy Grøndal’s “Trombone Concerto.” This piece was accompanied by piano, creating an incredible showcase of Reske’s musical prowess and display of emotion.

“I just want to share emotions with my audience through the music,” says Reske. “If I can do that, then I’ve succeeded.”

Continuing the performances was the Chamber Orchestra’s performance of Carrie Lane Gruselle’s arrangement of Joseph Haydn’s “Finale from Symphony No. 12m,” Brian Balmages’ “The Gift of Giving,” and “The Power of a Wish.” 

Balmages’ composition was dedicated to Melody Jackson, a 16-year-old high school band student who was tragically diagnosed with terminal cancer. Melody used her Make-A-Wish to give her high school marching band brand new uniforms. Balmage’s piece reflects this period in Melody and her family’s life, beginning with the grief of learning about her diagnosis, then moving to the granting of her wish and concludes with saying goodbye to Melody. Balmages wishes that Melody’s act of giving will not simply end, but spread throughout the globe.

The full Orchestra took the stage after Chamber Orchestra finished, playing Soon Hee Newbold’s “Warrior Legacy.” The creation of this song was commissioned by the Acushnet Classic Ensemble of Fairhaven, Massachusetts. The piece draws inspiration from the area’s history, including the 1670 Plymouth Colony and countless battles on the area’s soil.

The night’s final solo was performed by All-District percussionist Mac O’Connell. Playing the marimbas, O’Connell delivered a beautiful rendition of Matthias Schmitt’s “Ghanaía.”

Next the String Trio, composed of seniors Klaus Jostlein, Maddie Fisher, and sophomore Joon Bautista performed “Bagatelles” by Antonín Dvořák. Even though it was shorter, this piece showcased the trio’s mastery of their respective string instruments, captivating the audience for the duration of their performance.

The Percussion Ensemble took the stage next, playing Frederick Smith’s “Suite No.1,” a challenging piece that was performed with incredible skill, keeping the song interesting without a standard melody besides the mallet percussion.

Symphonic Band performed for the first time of the night after Percussion Ensemble, playing Tim Walters’ “Fortress Variations,” Percy Grainger’s “Irish Tune from County Derry,” and ending their first session on stage with Randall Standridge’s “Rev.”

The Symphonic Band stayed on stage and the Chamber Orchestra then joined them, playing Matt Riley’s beautiful arrangement of “Amazing Grace.”

Jostlein led the performance on the violin, with professional harpist Hannah Vanhooser and sophomore Nate Jackson on the piano supporting Jostlein's performance. The rest of the Symphonic Band and Chamber Orchestra played along with Jostlein, Vanhooser, and Jackson.

To conclude the night, the Combined Ensembles performed a rendition of Mike Kamuf’s arrangement of Laufey and Stephen Stewart’s “From the Start,” a jazz-pop combination featured in Laufey’s Grammy Award winning album, Bewitched. 

Assistant Band Director Thomas Curdt ’18 conducted “From the Start,” the final song of the Spring Concert, ending his final concert and time at SLUH in a bittersweet manner.

“It just felt like a celebration,” said Curdt. “I was feeling really proud of the work we had done.”

The concert’s conclusion was picked by the students themselves, who after being offered a couple of choices, nearly unanimously agreed on playing Laufey’s “From the Start,” which was Curdt’s suggestion.

“He’s just really in tune with all the kids,” said Pottinger. “He’s got a gift, all the kids just love being around him.” 

Pottinger, Curdt, and all the members of SLUH Band and Orchestra worked incredibly hard to put together an amazing concert. Even in the days leading up to the Spring concert, the band was rehearsing and putting the final touches on their solos or ensemble parts.

“We had to put in a lot of work,” said Pottinger. “But I think it turned out to be one of our best concerts ever.”