Band Festival coming to LHS

Polson, Stevensville, Hamilton and Libby will gather this coming Monday and Tuesday at Ralph Tate Gymnasium for the Class A Northwest Band Festival.

The two-day event culminates at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday with a free concert in the LHS gymnasium.

The festival begins on Monday morning with each band performing programs for festival clinicians. Libby will kick off the individual performances at 9 a.m., following by Polson at 9:45, Stevensville at 10:30 and Hamilton at 11:15.

“The clinicians will act as adjudicators ‘district festival style,’ which means they will listen to the performance while following along in a copy of the conductor’s score,” LHS Band Director Brenda Nagode said. “They write comments about the band’s performance that include points of criticism as well as words of praise. They often have much to learn from the observations of the skilled ears of these master conductors.”

Following the Monday morning individual sessions, the bands spend the rest of the two days on combined band rehearsals in preparation for the Tuesday evening concert.

Along with Nagode, other band directors include Shawn Thacker of Hamilton, Jeremy Ruff of Stevensville and Rich Sawyer of Polson.

“The bands pair up to create two large festival bands,” Nagode said. “They prepare their parts for the selected music back home in their own band rooms and come to the festival ready to have their efforts shaped in to a concert performance under the batons of master conductors.”

Nagode added that since there are generally more percussionists in the combined bands than written parts to be played, those musicians will divide up into master classes and percussion ensembles.

“They will have the privilege of working with a percussion specialist for the two days,” Nagode said. “These groups also perform on the final concert.”

Libby’s symphonic band will be paired with Polson. Nagode said the music they selected to perform includes a Japanese march entitled, “March Bou-Shu” by Satoshi Yagisawa, “DeerPath Dances” by David Holsinger and “Latin Celebration” arranged by John Tatgenhorst.

Hamilton’s band will combine with Stevensville. Their selections are “Military Marches of the British Isles” arranged by James D. Ployhar, “Sovereign Variants” by James Curnow and “Just A Closer Walk With Thee” arranged by Don Gillis and Calvin Custer.

Guest conductors and clinicians include:

• Robert Ledbetter, associate professor of music and director of percussion studies, University of Montana.

• Kevin Griggs, director of athletic bands and associate director of bands, University of Montana.

• James Smart, director of bands and trumpet, University of Montana.

“Libby High School is proud to be hosting an event like this that will bring together such incrdible talent,” Nagode said. “It gives us yet another chance to remind us all that the process of creating music makes us smarter while sharing of music makes us human.”