Deer Park’s John F. Kennedy Intermediate School recently played host to outstanding young band, chorus and orchestra musicians from more than 30 Suffolk middle schools, serving as the site for three days of rehearsals for the SCMEA All-County Division II West concert. The seventh- and eighth-graders, including representatives from Deer Park’s Robert Frost Middle School, were led by acclaimed guest conductors.
The West II Festival Band, conducted by James W. Dragovich of George W. Hewlett High School, rehearsed Carl Strommen’s “Grand Tetons Overture,” Robert W. Smith’s “The Great Locomotive Chase,” and Warren Barker’s “An Irish Ayre for Winds” and “A Galop to End All Galops.”
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Conducted by Mark Kimes of Hauppauge High School, the West II Festival Chorus tackled Mozart’s “Dies Irae,” Brian Lewis’ “Exsultate, Jubilate,” Linda Spevacek’s “Kimineero (The Carrion Crow),” the traditional spiritual “Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel” and pan-African anthem “Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika.”
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The West II Festival Orchestra, conducted by Anthony J. Pianelli Jr. of Paul D. Schreiber High School in Port Washington, practiced a selection of material including Shirl Jae Atwell’s “Drifen,” Bela Bartok’s “Romanian Folk Dances,” Percy Fletcher’s “Folk Tune and Fiddle Dance,” and selections from the musical “Les Miserables.”
