The Crusader Band Program’s Spring Concert was recently held at Loyola’s Roussel Hall. The Concert began with a stirring tribute to our former Band Director, Mr. Marty Hurley, and a performance by our percussionists of the ancient field music drum beat “Three Camps.” Following this piece, the senior drummers were each presented with a pair of Mr. Hurley’s personal drum sticks. Mrs. Paulette Hurley made this special presentation.
The Symphonic Band, led by Mr. Chris Bailey ’86, performed Gustav Holst’s “Mars” and Robert W. Smith’s “Encanto.” The Novice Band began with a horn and drum piece featuring the likes of Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy”. They also performed a classical rendition of Modest Mussorgsky’s “Night on Bald Mountain” followed by Mr. Hurley’s famous Drum Cadence melodies. They closed with a rendition of the Brother Martin Fight Song conducted by Senior Drum Major Duvy Salvant.
Finally, the Concert Band took the stage and began with John Philip Sousa’s “The Directorate March,” a piece performed by the Band at its Sweepstakes winning effort at the NAfME Large Ensemble Assessment. Student arrangers Zachary Romano ’14 and Brandon Gaillot ’14 conducted their latest projects in CiRCus MoNSTeR and The Battle! Duvy Salvant took his seat at the piano for the famous song written by Allen Toussaint and made famous by trumpeter Al Hirt, “Java.” This arrangement also featured our trumpet section and Senior Band Captain Clark Wagener on string bass. Next honored were our brave troops with an Armed Services Medley from the 502nd Air Force Band at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, MS. Duvy took the podium again and conducted “African Dreams,” an original work by Brant Karrick commemorating the story of William Kamkwamba as told in the “Great Read” The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind.
Several Awards were then distributed to our Superior Rated Solo & Ensemble winners, our 2013 Merit Award Winners, and several Senior Awards: Service Award recipients were Alex Johnson, Connor Murphy, Brett Huston, Kyle Marciante and Devin Shearman. Outstanding Musicians were Clark Wagener and Mark Elsensohn. The Director’s Awards went to Josh Olivier and Duvy Salvant and our top Award for Musicianship, The John Philip Sousa Award, went to Senior Band Lieutenant Matthew Chambers. The Band closed the Concert with an exciting performance of John Mackey’s “Undertow.”
