Spring Concert

[ms2dmgd]

Upon our arrival to the Spring Concert at Grady High School, the traffic and direction was wonderful until we came to the corner of Ponce De Leon and Parkway. The neighborhood was a heavy drug area, there was people standing on every corner. While we were waiting for the traffic light to turn green there were two young men standing on opposite corners shouting who sold the most weed. I began checking the doors to make sure they were lock. I was reacting, as anyone else would do when entering this kind of neighborhood. As we drove two blocks down it was a different neighborhood, there was a duplex selling for three hundred thousand dollars. The people were recycling, took good care of the houses, and had plenty of plants and flowers in the yards. Drove another block and there it was Grady High School, as we drove through the main entrance there stood a huge arch with the school name.
As we walked to wards the auditory, was a crowd everyone was moving swiftly that they might obtain good seats. As soon as entering the auditory, I notice the seats on the middle back row they would be perfect to observe and record the concert.
The first group to perform was the Urban Youth Harp Ensemble group 1, five harp players. This was an all female group, dressed in red evening gowns. They names are Aurielle Coleman, Ariel Collins, DeAngela Glaze, Lyntoria Newton, and Seshay Teasley. Song number one that they played was Prelude in F Major by J.S. Bach, arr. Mark A. Belloto. Song number two was LE PETIT RIEN by Francois Couperin, arr. Stephanie Curcio. The next group that played was the Harp Ensemble group 2 also a five-harp player group; in that group were four young men and one female. Melvin Cater, Daniel Holmes, Desmond Johnson, Symba Lawal and Rico Mathis. The songs that they played were Traditional Irish Melodies Medley by Thomas Moore, arr. Janet Jackson Whitman and Two Joplin Rags by Scott Joplin, arr. Shari Pack. The female played the harp with one hand while the young men played with both .The directors were Elisabeth Remy-Johnson and Roselyn Lewis Ms. Marissa Knaub was the Instructor.
The third group that performed was the Atlanta Public Elementary Honor Band 2007- 2008, with twenty-three band members. This group was from Adamsville, Bethune, Centennial Place, Grove Park, Morningside, and West Manor elementary school. The songs that they played were Tomahawk Dance by Andrew Balent, Bold Adventure by Timothy Johnson, Ancient Hunters by Sean O’Loghlin, and American Spirit March by John O’Reilly. The directors were Mary McGowan, Christopher Belcher, and Dyann Ryans manager.
The forth group that performed was the Elementary Honor Chorus 2007-2008, the program stated that there were fifty members, but only thirty-one sang. This group was from Beecher Hills, Bolton, Cascade, Centennial Place, Cook, Grove Park, Heritage Academy, Hope, M.A. Jones, Lin, Miles, Morningside, Parkside, Peyton Forest, Slater, and Usher elementary school. The songs that they sang was Showtime by Roger Emerson, This Little Light of Mine s arr. by Ken Berg, and Ain’- A That Good News arr. by Mark Patterson. While they were performing there, opening song the third girl on the first row was out of step from the others. The director was Phyllis Johnson-Porter and Mark A. Belloto, accompanist.
Fifth group to perform was the Superintendent’s Jazz Ensemble 2007-2008, in this group there was seventeen players. The schools that they attend are Inman, Turner, and Young middle school. Dilon Bryan aka Dill pickle or baby Miles on trumpet lead the group in two songs a long with a female soloist performer on saxophone. The songs that they played were Satin Doll by Duke Ellington, Johnny Mercer, & Billy Strayhorn arr. John Edmondson, All Blues Composed and Recorded by Miles Davis arr. Michael Sweeney, Oye Como Va by Tito Puente, Recorded by Santana arr. Paul Murtha. The directors were Robert Jeffrey, and Erik Herndon.
[FONT='Calibri','sans-serif']The last group to perform was the Atlanta Public School Youth Orchestra 2007-2008, there was fifty-one members in this group performed. The group concise of students from Carver Early College, Carver School of the Arts, Douglas HS, Grady HS, Inman MS, Mays HS, North Atlanta HS, Sutton MS, and Young MS. The songs that they played were The Montagues
and the Capulets by Serge Prokofiev arr. Edmund Siennicki, Russian Sailor’s Dance from ‘The Red Poppy’ by Reinhold Gliere arr. Merle Isaac. The very last song added was not on the program, two female singers sang Miracle’s When You Believe. The directors were Natalie & Reginald Colbert.
Mrs. Cynthia S. Terry the Director of Fine Arts gave the closing remarks, she gave special thanks to the students, teachers, parents, and administrators who helped and made the program a success.
[/font]