May is always a great month for music in Milton.
This past Wednesday the Milton High School music ensembles gave their annual spring concert. It was by all accounts a wonderful night of music that included West African folk songs, Sousa marches and a Bach Sinfonia.
The school ensembles that performed were the MHS Mixed Chorus conducted by Dr. Noreen Diamond Burdett, the MHS Concert Band conducted by Gary Good and Rebecca Damiani, the MHS Girls Chorus also conducted by Burdett and the MHS String Ensemble conducted by Patricia Ostrem. Last but hardly least was the MHS Symphonic Orchestra. The Symphonic Orchestra is a recent development (this may be its third year). It is a combination of players from the string ensemble and concert band. The music department rotates the conducters. This year it was Ms. Ostrem wielding the baton in a performance of “The Moldau” by Bedrich Smetana as arranged by Richard Meyer.
The killer piece of the night, however, had to be the concert band’s rendition of “Godzilla Eats Las Vegas!” composed be Eric Whitacre. Honest, that is the title of the piece and it was great!
There is still an opportunity to hear our school musicians. There are two upcoming Pierce Middle School concerts; one on May 21 and another on May 28 both at 7:00.
Lastly, there will also be performances this week end by the 2009 Milton Young Musicians Festival gold medalists.
The Milton Young Musicians Festival is an annual event organized by local resident Emma Jean Moulton. It provides local student musicians the opportunity to participate in an adjudicated audition and take a master class in their particular instrument from a local professional musician. Students who receive a gold medal for their audition are invited to give a public performance. There will be two performances. They are this Sunday, May 19th. Half the musicians (14 altogether) will perform 2:00, and the remaining 13 musicians will perform at 4:00. The concerts are at the First Parish Church on Canton Ave. Congratulations to the winners and thank you Ms. Moulton!
Click on a picture below to enlarge. Photos courtesy of Steve Nelson.
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Festival Participants
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Gold Medalists with Ms. Moulton