Rolling Meadows High School Music Department in association with Bob Rogers Travel
Rolling Meadows High School Bands, Choirs, and Orchestra
Christopher Butti, Band director; Caitlyn Walsh, Choir director; Patrick Sullen, piano; Kevin Carroll, Orchestra director
Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall. New York, NY
March 24, 2016
It is no secret to any regular reader of this journal that this reviewer has a particular interest in band performances (“wind ensemble” if you prefer), especially those with young players. On March 24, 2016, at Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall, the Rolling Meadows High School Music Department (Band, Orchestra, Choir) from Illinois was on hand to showcase their talents. Watching the young people file onto stage transported me back to those long ago days when I was a youngster, myself, getting ready for concerts. I was especially taken by the sight of one wide-eyed young lady walking out with her hand covering her mouth as if saying to herself, “I’m on the stage of Carnegie Hall!”
A concert with high school players presents a number of challenges to a reviewer – does one adopt a “one size fits all” standard, or does one make allowances for the age and experience level of these performers? It is my belief that constructive criticism, tempered with regard to age, is what is appropriate. I have the utmost respect for high school music directors and the challenges they face, such as the vast range of abilities of the players, the difficulty in maintaining a solid foundation of players when the personnel is constantly changing, too many/too few of particular instruments, finding music that is level appropriate yet sounds sophisticated, and trying to maintain “law and order” with a large number of teens. On the other hand, this does not mean that a wholesale “free pass” is being issued. Intonation, balance, and precise articulation are non-negotiable items.
Leading off was the band, directed by Christopher Butti. I was immediately intrigued by the multi-note tuning (first A, then F), something I have not encountered before. That being said, it has always been my belief that tuning for junior high/high school bands should center on Bb instead, as using A (a notoriously sharp note for Bb Trumpets) has a tendency to bring the overall pitch toward the flat side later. I was curious to see how this was going to work out (or not) in practice.
Let’s get the criticisms out of the way first. The set-up of the instruments was at odds with the acoustics of the hall, which made the percussion section sound much too loud (through no fault of the percussionists), which also “muddied” up some of the rapid passages. Intonation issues occurred throughout, some jarringly severe. There were numerous missed and cracked notes in solo passages. Of course one can factor nerves into the equation, but this is an issue very common with younger players, who mistakenly approach some notes from the bottom up instead of aiming slightly above (which allows the player to “slide down” if necessary, while trying to “pull up” almost always causes cracks or just plain missing of the note).
Now, let’s get on to the many good things. There was much to praise in the overall ensemble playing – the balance (making allowances for the acoustics) was nicely done, individual players showed a lot of talent and promise, and Mr. Butti is to be commended for choosing works that were of a level that was right for his ensemble, and which showed them to the best advantage. I’ve heard too many young groups “crash and burn” on Grade 5 works, when there are so many terrific Grade 4 works that they could really shine in.
The band offered four selections. Phillip Sparke’s Merry-Go-Round is aptly called a mini “Concerto for Band,” with the melody making its way around the instruments. Other than the acoustical issue, it was a playfully fun opener. Selections from John Williams’ Lincoln was given a solid reading. The highlight of their selections was Elements by Brian Balmages. Subtitled Petite Symphony, this four-movement piece (Air, Water, Earth, Fire) is a highly-effective Grade 4 work that these young players put their collective all into, and it showed in a wonderful performance. They ended with a medley of hymns from the five branches of the Armed Forces that earned them a nice ovation.
The choir followed, led by a very animated Caitlyn Walsh. Ms. Walsh had prepared her choir well in what were well-conceived and tight performances. The joy of the South African hymn Siyahamba was clear, and the “spoken chorus” work, Geographical Fugue by Ernst Toch, was well done (though simply a “diversion” according to the composer). The touching Susan Brumfield arrangement of No Time and Joseph Martin’s The Awakening were excellent. Well done, Ms. Walsh and Choir!
After intermission, the orchestra took to the stage, led by Kevin Carroll. Mr. Carroll addressed the audience, thanking them on behalf of himself and his colleagues for their support in making this concert in a “hallowed ground of music” possible. They led off with Aaron Copland’s An Outdoor Overture. Written with young ensembles in mind, this work has all the hallmarks of the Copland style while being within their technical grasp. There were intonation problems in the exposed sections, but the overall effect was good, and the balance issues that vexed me earlier were no longer in evidence (different seating plan!). Percy Grainger’s Irish Tune from County Derry (which most will recognize as “Danny Boy” or Londonderry Air) was wistful, but needed more “lift” from the string players. Selections from the popular musical Chicago followed and was delightful, with the raunchy growls of the trumpets and jazzy elements coming through with panache.
The combined forces joined together for the World Premiere of Fanfare and Fantasia on Illinois, commissioned by and written especially for Rolling Meadows High School, by Don Owens. With quotes from the Illinois State song, the Rolling Meadows High School alma mater song, and other Illinois related themes, it is an effective work that should figure highly in concerts for years to come from Rolling Meadows. The audience filled with family and friends gave their “stars” a standing ovation, a fitting end to a night that these young people will cherish for a lifetime.
