Fine arts groups do well at Orlando festivals
By Tannika King - Faculty
Several of Darlington’s instrumental and vocal ensembles received top honors at festivals in Orlando, Fla., earlier this month.
The Concert Band, String Orchestra, Orchestra, Steel Band and Jazz Band were each rated “Superior” and took home first place trophies at the Music USA Festival. In addition, senior Veronica Banford of Elk Grove, Calif., was named Outstanding Soloist and Darlington School was named Instrumental Grand Champion.
The Concert Band performed “Saturn: The Ringed Planet” and “Circus Days,” taking first in Division A. The String Orchestra performed “Symphony in G by J. Stamitz” and “Gabriel’s Oboe,” taking first in Open Class. The Orchestra performed “The Quest” and “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End,” taking first in Division A. The Steel Band performed “Bahia Street Beat” and “Pepita’s Dance,” taking first in Open Class. The Jazz Band performed “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing” and “St. Thomas,” taking first in Division A.
“The judges were amazed that such a diverse mix of music came from such a small school,” said Will Camp, instrumental director. “They also remarked that it was amazing to see how many students would cross over between the groups.”
A total of 58 students participated in the Music USA Festival, with several participating in more than one ensemble.
“To receive this many first-place awards is a testament to how hard our students work,” Camp said. “We were up against 14 other schools from all over the country. For the smallest school to come away as Instrumental Grand Champions is fantastic! I want to thank the students for their hard work and also the parents for their support and understanding. ”
This year marks the fourth time that Darlington’s instrumental program has won the Grand Champion Award at a festival, previously receiving the honor at two festivals in Atlanta and one in Tampa, Fla.
At OrlandoFest, the Concert Choir received a rating of “Excellent” and took home a first-place trophy in Division A. They performed René Clausen’s “Set Me As a Seal,” Jonathan Quick’s “Loch Lomond” and Eric Whitacre’s “With a Lily in Your Hand.” The second selection featured solos by seniors Banks Mattingly and David Stelly.
“I was very proud of how the students performed at this festival,” said Erin Westmaas, Upper School choral director. “We received positive and insightful feedback from the judges.”
