Jackson, Cape Central bands take their shows on the road

Ninth-grader Miracle Bird is a band student at Cape Girardeau Central High School who recently did what many trumpet players only dream of doing: She took her act on the road.

Bird was among 67 students who performed April 9 at New York's historic Riverside Church as part of the WorldStrides New York Heritage Festival 2016.

The group took second place among the eight school groups from around the country who participated.

"I think we did good. It was really cool to see other bands play in such a historic place," Bird said.

It was cool, too, to get a chance to take in sights such as the Statue of Liberty, the 9/11 Memorial Museum in lower Manhattan and the hustle and bustle of Times Square.

Jackson High School's Wind Symphony in Chicago.Photo submitted by Tom Broussard

"It was a cool kind of vibe," said Jeffrey Bittle, a freshman trombone player.

Josh LaMar, director of bands at Cape Girardeau Public Schools, said the students played Howard Hanson's chorale "Aleluia" and "Arabesque" by composer Samuel Hazo during their performance at the soaring neo-Gothic church, which was conceived 75 years ago by financier John D. Rockefeller Jr. and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The idea was to showcase their abilities in the most rigorous way.

"We went to Chicago a couple years ago and wanted to do something bigger," LaMar said. "That's why we went to New York."

Members of the CHS Wind Symphony and jazz band visited New York from April 6 to 10.

Band director Josh LaMar with students Korie Brewer, Adrienne Underwood, Jake White and John Young in New York City.Photo submitted by Josh LaMar

At almost the same time, the Wind Symphony from Jackson High School was visiting Chicago for the Windy City's National Adjudicators Invitational Music Festival, where they earned scores of 96, 97, 98 and 100.

"To be able to score like that was wonderful," said director of bands Tom Broussard. "Our kids just performed magnificently."

The group of 48 students applied to attend the festival in the fall and sailed in easily because of their No. 1 rating at the state level.

"We've [achieved level one] with the Wind Symphony since 1968, every year," Broussard said.

As with Central High School's trip to New York, the Jackson group got to see the sights, probably the most memorable of which was a performance by the Chicago Symphony.

The Central High School Wind Symphony bus travels toward Times Square in New York City.Photo submitted by Josh LaMar

Among the top five symphonies in the world, it performed "Romeo et Juliette" by French Romantic composer Hector Berlioz.

"It was just two and a half hours of pure joy, and the symphony hall in Chicago is just amazing," Broussard said.

Most amazing of all, however, was the confidence booster the trip turned out to be, he said.

"(The students) all have grown so much this year," Broussard said.

ljones@semissourian.com

The Central High School Wind Symphony in New York City.Photo submitted by Josh LaMar

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Pertinent address:

Cape Central High School, 1000 Silver Springs Road, Cape Girardeau, Mo.

Jackson High School, 315 S. Missouri St., Jackson, Mo.