Band and choir herald in spring

To herald the coming of spring, Sisters High School band and choir students showed off their talents to a most attentive and appreciative audience at the high school auditorium last Wednesday evening.

In keeping with school tradition, this year's Spring Concert showcased the most difficult body of music that students master all year and presented students in the most prepared state that they reach all year, band director Jody Henderson told The Nugget.

"We take the music that we perform in the Spring Concert more seriously than we take any music we perform any other time of the year," said Henderson. "It's the most difficult music, the most serious, the most artistic music, and it's very much based in the concept of art music, not pop music or movie sound track music. It's very demanding."

The all-female Sisters High School Concert Choir opened the performance with a selection of three dynamically different pieces, each of which allowed singers to show the full ranges and depths of their voices.

Next the Sisters High Chorale showed off their talents, first with Aaron Copland's "The Boatman's Dance" followed by a very challenging arrangement of Jeffery H. Rickard's "Gloria." They concluded their set with de Palestrina's "O Bone Jesu" and a spirited arrangement of "Keep your Lamps!"

Rounding out the evening was a sterling performance by the Sisters High School Symphonic Band under the direction of Henderson. The at-home concert was the third time the band had presented their complex three-piece set. The other two were at invitational competitions.

The two coral groups are also taking their sets to competitions. Immediately after spring break, they will perform at the Central Oregon Music Educators Association Festival at Summit High School in Bend. This year is the first year choir director Tara MacSween is taking her concert choir to the competition.

"They've been really dedicated, and they came out with a beautiful set, and we're going to take it to the festival this year. I'm feeling really privileged to be able to take that. It's really exciting," said MacSween. "We like to compete on the big school level. We don't feel like just because we're smaller we have to come with a lesser quality product."

According to Stephanie King, who accompanies the two chorale groups, MacSween knows how to bring out the best in her students. She teaches students to "...use their voices in a way that is very professional and is the way you are supposed to sing," said King. "She really gets them to make all of the right vowels and all of the right consonants and really does a great job with them."

Luke MacSween, Tara's husband and choir director at Bend High School, who served as "sound man" at last Wednesday's concert, spoke of the Sisters High School band and choir programs.

"The quality of the sound that is produced all the way from fifth grade through 12th grade is so far above par than any other school this size; it's truly amazing," he said.