Centreville High School Wildcat Band’s 3rd Annual Bandemonium! – an outdoor music festival under the stars – will take place on Friday, May 17th at 6:30PM in the school’s bus loop. The Centreville High School Winterguard, Chamber Ensembles, JazzCats, Percussion Ensemble, Concert Band, Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble will dazzle audiences with a variety of great music! From young to old, there will be something for everyone!
Audience members will have the option to get their faces painted, get henna tattoos, and even dance to some swingin’ jazz tunes! Food trucks El Jefe Wood Fired Pizza, Little Lady Grill, Two Smooth Dudes, Kona Ice and Adam’s Delights Ice Cream will be onsite for guests to purchase food to enjoy while the musicians entertain the crowd. A new highlight this year will be music from the movies – movie clips will play while the bands perform the soundtracks to “Harry Potter,” “How to Train Your Dragon” and “Star Wars!” The event brings together all members of the CVHS performing arts department, as it features band, orchestra, choir and theatre students in performance! Special thanks to the Art Club at CVHS for bringing Face Painting to the event. 500 folding chairs will be available for guests to sit in, but guests are also encouraged to bring picnic blankets and camping chairs. As with previous years’ events, the performers will entertain on two stages. In case of rain, the concert will be moved indoors into the Skip Maiden Auditorium.
El Jefe Wood Fired Pizza features incredible pizzas that all have WOW factors! Little Lady Grill features sandwiches and “from the grill” delicacies while Two Smooth Dudes serves gourmet tater tots, wraps, salads and pineapple smoothies. In addition to ice cream and shaved ice, the desserts on site will include sheet cakes celebrating the wonderful students that make up the Centreville Wildcat Band program and especially the 2024 Wildcat Band graduating seniors!
Director Melissa Hall said, “Last year’s Bandemonium event was an even bigger success than our inaugural year, with over 700 audience members in attendance. It is such a joy to have created a new tradition at Centreville High School and our surrounding community that is always so well received. The students and I are excited to bring it back, bigger and better this year – 3rd time’s the charm!”
The JazzCats, Centreville’s own Jazz Ensemble, will be performing music on the theme, “ColorFULL.” Music from many jazz genres, including swing, funk, rock and Latin, will be featured. Three vocal selections, Blue Moon, Orange Colored Sky and Rio de Janeiro Blue will feature student vocalists from the Centreville Choral Department. Centreville Orchestra students also perform in the Jazz Band this year – what a unique way to bring our departments together!
In addition to highlights from “Harry Potter,” the Concert Band will feature a work by composer Jorge Vargas called “Golondrina.” This charming work is inspired by the joropo llanero – a South American musical style and dance that originated in Venezuela. While this style is present throughout the piece, you can also hear Mexican and Spanish influences in it as well. Ever wonder what a galop would sound like with the chaos that ensues when a dog sees a squirrel? Well, wonder no more! The band will conclude the night with “Squirrel Chase” by Carol Brittin Chambers.
Music from “How to Train Your Dragon” will begin the Symphonic Band’s portion of the night. Next up, they will perform Tyler Arcari’s “Tumbleweed.” As you can tell by the title, this robust work evokes the thrilling sounds of the American Southwest. Rousing themes revive the glory days of the American cowboy and all the trials and tribulations of living in this rustic but unforgiving frontier. You’ll hear music that paints a sophisticated musical tapestry utilizing all of the color available to the modern concert band! The band will conclude with “The Country Club Stomp” by JaRod Hall. Experience a New Orleans vibe with this exciting, parade-inspired crowd pleaser! The lively work is based on an infectious rhythmic groove and spirited melody. Elements of jazz and references to the West African circle dances from which this music evolved make it an exciting closer!
The Wind Ensemble will open with “The Wild One!” by Brian Balmages, a blistering adrenaline-packed circus march that will bring the audience to their feet! The band is excited to perform a medley from episodes 1-3 of “Star Wars.” Next up, they will take everyone on a fun-filled trip down memory lane with “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “Singing in the Rain” and “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.” From bold and dramatic to toe-tapping and upbeat, these timeless film classics define all that is loved about the silver screen and the beloved movies of Tinseltown! The band will end the night with its traditional, end-of-year performance of “The Stars and Stripes Forever” by John Philip Sousa.
“As always, this is a free, family-friendly event that we hope will bring in many guests from the Centreville community,” said Hall. “Come celebrate another tremendous year of in-person music making, along with the Centreville High School Wildcat Band family. We hope to see everyone there!”
