On February 22 the Seymour High School performed their 2018 Pops Concert/Iconic composers at Seymour High school in the Earl D. Prout auditorium. Like the previous concert, the concert was led by the jazz band and then came the concert and the symphonic bands. Last but not least, the wind ensemble finished the concert. Solo and Ensemble State was also that weekend so Kevin Cottrill, band director, had all the students that made it to state to performed 32 measures of their solos/ensembles between bands.

Jazzing things up, the jazz band played their first song “Smack Dab in the Middle” arranged by Sammy Nestico. Followed up with “Mood Indigo” by Duke Ellington, and to finish it off “Yardbird Suite” by Charlie Parker. As the jazz band was leaving they set up stands or chairs for the following state players. Six solos were played on different sides of the stage as well as two ensemble groups.

Abby Wheeler, senior trombone jazz player, said that the jazz band did very well. She loved playing “Mood Indigo”, she enjoyed playing her part in that. Wheeler thought that the hardest piece to play was “Yardbird Suite” because she had a low part that was hard to play. She really enjoyed listening to the solos and ensembles, she thought they did “very good as well.”

Next up was the concert band. The concert band performed many songs by multiple composers; Richard Strauss, Wolfgang A. Mozart and Percy Grainger. After that more solos and ensembles were played while the Symphonic Band set up behind the curtain. Many songs and movements were played by the Symphonic Band, familiar tunes like “Simple Gifts” by Frank Ticheli, “An Irish Rhapsody” by Clare Grundman and other pieces.

“I always love to hear what the other bands have been working on and I always feel so proud of them!” Wheeler commented. Wheeler thinks that both bands performed to their best of their abilities and had fun.

As for last, the wind ensemble performed four amazing pieces. “Semper Fidelis” by John Philip Sousa, a famous composer for most people because of the award given at the end of the school year to a lucky band student. “Ave Maria” by Franz Schubert, a familiar song to a lot of people in the audience, “I’m Seventeen Come Sunday” by Percy Grainger and “God of Our Fathers” by Claude T. Smith.

As for many other seniors, this was Wheelers last Pops Concert for 2018. Even though she still has two more concerts to go in her high school career this being her last Pops gave her a “melancholy” feeling. She was glad that the crowd seemed to enjoy the music and everyone had smiles on their faces as they left the Seymour High School.