EAGLE CONCERT BAND
   On April 13, 2010 we headed North to Greeley to the CHSAA Large Group Festival at Greeley West H.S.. The students were ready to perform and many had weathered the "South Pacific" pit orchestra the previous weekend and had performed with the Symphony Orchestra the previous Thursday at our "Arts" assembly.  With all of the distractions that makes Springtime in the music program a thing of wonder, they performed well. 

  We started with "A Basque Lullaby" which bared our weaknesses as we have been working hard on playing more in tune!  We completed it and moved on to "Amazing Grace" which was dedicated to the Memory of Mr. Kreeger's dad, Dale who had passed away just 3 days earlier.  The audience (all 6 of them) were all mellowed out by the time we SMASHED the downbeat of "Stars & Stripes Forever".  Mr. Kreeger has been preaching DYNAMIC CONTRAST since marching season and WHAM, there it was.  As subtle as a water balloon to an unsuspecting sunbather!  We then progressed to the infamous sight-reading room and were given instruction as to how to go through the process.  Mr. Kreeger walked the students through this "Level IV" song and, after 6 minutes of dialogue about the unfamiliar tune, we were ready to perform it for the judge.  We performed it pretty well and the judge came up and told us the things that he wanted us to focus on from here on out!  We thanked him for his time and headed back to the storage area where we would put our instruments back into cases and change back out of our tuxes and concert dresses. 

   Mr. K. was given the packet of cassette tapes, the performance DVD and the long awaited judges sheets.  Mr. Kreeger peered inside and saw one sheet that had a rating of a "I".  SWEET!  He pulled the other 3 sheets out and slowly, guardedly peeked at the others.  There was a "I-", a "II" and another "II". (Twos are EXCELLENT! Ones are SUPERIOR!)  Two 2s and two 1s.  That's the best any BHS Band has done under Mr. Kreeger's leadership since he took over in 2005. 

Now we are setting our sights on straight SUPERIOR Ratings ("I's") for next year. More atttention to detail and more practicing on an individual basis are still a focus of the ensemble.

   The Concert Band's next performance will be on May 5th at 7:00 pm.  This is our "Senior Showcase" concert featuring our graduating Seniors. Elizabeth Hardy, principal clarinetist will be highlighted in "Rondo" by Carl Marie von Weber, which features her on Clarinet.  Lia Malacalza, trombone, will be playing a solo accompanied by Amanda Ardito on piano.  Trent Lyon, graduating Junior, will be playing a solo on the Marimba.

     The ensemble will be performing music from the Broadway Musical "Guys and Dolls" and "The Magic of Andrew Lloyd Webber" which will also be the featured closer at the All-City Concert the following week on May 11th in the EAGLE GYM.