Schools
Wantagh HS Musicians Perform at Carnegie Hall
Wantagh Wind Ensemble takes stage at legendary Manhattan concert venue.
How do you get to Carnegie Hall? At Wantagh High School, it’s through the Wind Ensemble.
For the third time, Wantagh High School’s honors band performed at the legendary Manhattan concert venue on April 16, in collaboration with musicians at Hewlett High School.
Mindy Dragovich of Wantagh and James Dragovich of Hewlett worked together to prepare a program for the esteemed performance hall of New York City, and its success was staggering. It was a once in a lifetime performance none of the students are likely to forget.
The event was hosted by Four Winds and included four other ensembles. The Patchogue Medford Choral Ensemble/Vocal Jazz Ensemble, the North Babylon High School Concert Choir, the Marlboro High School Symphonic Band, Chorus, and Orchestra, and the Baldwin Wind Symphony also performed, preceding the Hewlett-Wantagh Festival Winds. Every group produced outstanding music, and proved themselves to be worthy of performing on a stage where the likes of Leonard Bernstein, Duke Ellington, George Gershwin, Benny Goodman, and the New York Philharmonic have performed.
The Hewlett-Wantagh group opened their slot with “Dakota Fanfare” by Erik Morales, a high-energy piece conducted by.Dragovich. Its driving rhythm was electrifying and left the audience breathless with stunning ensemble cohesiveness and style. “Canticle” by Jack Stamp, was a work the group dedicated to the families and communities affected by the tragic shooting in Newtown, Conn. last December. The poem “Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep” by Mary Elizabeth Frye was interwoven into the piece and was voiced by Wantagh High School’s own Assistant Principal, Jim Brown. The intense musical arrangement, as well as the students’ own emotions coming through in their playing, made for very tender and touching moments for everyone in the hall.
Dragovich conducted the next piece, entitled “Metroplex” by Robert Sheldon. The three-movement work demanded all of the complexity and musicality of a college level ensemble and the high school students met this demand and more. It opened melodically, was followed by a jazz section and concluded with a fast paced and highly technical climax.
The closer of the night, an arrangement of “The Star Spangled Banner” by Jack Stamp, was played to a standing audience, with hands over their hearts. Performed just a day after the bombings at the Boston Marathon, the classic tune held a much deeper emotional quality for everyone. All were affected and many were moved to tears. It was a truly beautiful moment of reflection and peace amidst tragedy.
Performing at Carnegie Hall is an absolutely amazing experience and the students in the band will always remember the “practice, practice, practice” it took to get them there. Wantagh’s music program has yet again proven itself to be outstanding in all respects. The Wind Ensemble continues to strive for excellence, and with opportunities such as this one, it is hard to deny that they have reached an exemplary level of achievement.
