Final show of the season for Halton bands

Josh Davis, Pincher Creek Voice

Director Rick Bullock
J. Davis photo

At 7:30 on Thursday June 14 2012 the Matthew Halton grade 7 and Junior High bands, along with the Matthew Halton/F.P. Walshe Senior High band, held their annual year end show in the Matthew Halton High School gymnasium. Led by director Rick Bullock, all three bands delivered good performances, demonstrating the skills they had developed throughout the year.

First up was the Grade 7 band, which performed 3 numbers over the course of 8 minutes. They started by playing 'Montego Bay', followed by the slightly more complicated 'Prelude to March', and finished with the boisterous 'Regal March'. The beginner group was quite talented; they made few mistakes, and their rhythm was impeccable.

F.P. Walshe drummer Taylor Atwood
J. Davis photo

Next to play was the Junior High band, which played for about 20 minutes. They started with the jubilant 'Celebration Overture', followed by the more surreal 'Korean Folk Rhapsody', the mystical 'Abandoned Treasure Hunt', the 'Irish American Dance', and finishing with 'Ash Long Echoes'. Taylor Atwood, a member of F.P. Walshe’s Senior High group, stood in for the group's absent drummer, valiantly playing the songs for the first time without sheet music. Atwood did an extraordinary job, making no noticeable mistakes throughout the set.

The final group to play was the Matthew Halton/F.P. Walshe Senior High group, with a 35 minute set. They started with the boisterous 'Jai Ho', followed by the slower 'At Mornings First Light', light march' Kings Pull', fun 'March of the Trolls', the medley 'Pixar Movie Magic', the melancholy tune 'Seal Lullaby', and finishing with 'How to Train Your Dragon'. The seniors showed great understanding of their instruments, generating a very clean sound. Their timing was great, and they all played really well together.

Director Rick Bullock expressed his appreciation of graduating students, as well as that of junior high students who stepped up to play in the high school band. This good mix of young and old talent left this reporter excited for future incarnations of the Matthew Halton band program.