By Donald H. Harrison
SAN DIEGO — Besides the name of flutist Susan Kornberg Simpson were enough symbols to make one wonder if someone was exclaiming something in comic book talk! But the key at the bottom of the program explained that one symbol meant that the Patrick Henry High School musician performs in the San Diego Unified School District Honor Band, another that she plays in the California All-Southern Honor Band, yet another that she contributes her talent to the California All-State Honor Band, and a fourth, that she’s a member of the All-National Honor Band.
With a resume like that, the audience that packed the stands in Patrick Henry’s gymnasium would have welcomed her in a solo — but there really was no time for that, given that nine bands all would perform in about one hour’s time — those of six local elementary schools, two middle schools and the host high school. Patrick Henry’s Conductor Matthew Kalal had Simpson take a bow, however, and the combined audience gave her a warm ovation. This may have been the basketball court, but the stars on Tuesday evening, March 27, were musicians, and not athletes.
As in basketball, football and other sports, there are some players like Simpson who rise to the very top. And just as in those sports, playing in a band demands practice and team work. The audience could hear the evidence of that during the joint concert.
From our side of the court and to our left, elementary school students in white shirts and blouses and dark pants and skirts represented the following elementary schools : Dailard, Foster, Gage, Green, Hearst and Marvin. In center court, dressed in black formal wear and looking like they were all going to a prom, was the Patrick Henry High School Band. To our right, also in black formal wear, was the Lewis Middle School Band conducted by Joshua Prout and beyond them, to the far right, wearing maroon shirts and black pants or skirts, was the Pershing Junior High Band under the baton of Mark Anderson. With a trumpeter with dark hair combed up into a blonde Mohawk cut, this colorful band easily attracted many curious and appreciative stares. “Isn’t it awesome!” said one woman in front of me, clearly admiring the young man’s hair style.
The concert demonstrated the increasing skill levels in music as students progress through the public schools. Those elementary school students who were still learning their notes played each one with determination, pausing for what seemed like an extra beat as they got ready to play the next note. The junior high school musicians flowed from one note to another, but on occasion the notes didn’t sound like the right ones. For the most part, the senior high school students hit the right notes as their music flowed along, helped by some very convincing percussion work.
Just by observing the bands of the Patrick Henry High Cluster Schools, one could get a feeling of the toll attrition will take in the ranks of musicians over the school years. The six elementary schools contributed the largest contingent of at least 266 musicians (I say “at least” because the names of some students were inadvertently omitted, including Marvin Elementary School saxophonist Shor Masori, ahem, my grandson). If the students remain in their Allied Gardens, Del Cerro and San Carlos neighborhoods, the students of three of these elementary schools will go to Pershing Middle School, and those of the other three elementary schools will go to Lewis Middle School. And then all the students of the two middle schools will flow into Patrick Henry High School, site of the concert.
The two junior high schools accounted for 108 musicians, or 54 each, while Patrick Henry H.S. listed 84 students in its portion of the program.
There were some last minute changes from the printed program, but a recitation of the works listed will give readers a sense of the advancing skill levels: The six elementary schools, broken into beginning and advanced segments, were led by Kelly Bakken (beginning) in a Folk Song Spectacular (including”Mary Had a Little Lamb”) and Power Rock arranged by Michael Sweeney. The advanced band under Harvey Tellinghuisen performed “Royal Crown March” and “Minor Rock,” both credited to Bruce Pearson and Barrie Gott.
Lewis Middle School programmed the “Academic Festival Overture” composed by Brahms, to which someday, perhaps, many of them may be marching during graduation ceremonies from either high school or college. Also programmed was “Highland Echoes” by Del Borgo.
The Pershing Middle School Band was programmed to play “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s Fair,” but changed the selection. Another programmed selection was “Jungle Dance” by Brian Balmages.
The program for the Patrick Henry Wind Symphony included James Hosay’s “And the Multitude With One Voice Spoke” and “Africa: Ceremony, Song and Ritual,” another percussion dominated offering, by Robert W. Smith.
Then, as a finale, the combined bands played a Heritage-of-Liberty selection, which included “America the Beautiful.” This seemed altogether appropriate, especially in a gym in which the “Patriots” play for a high school named for American Revolutionary War orator Patrick Henry, who stirred his fellow Virginians with the declaration “Give me liberty or give me death!” A statue of the old patriot dominates a flower garden near the gym.
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Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World. He may be contacted at donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com