236 student musicians perform at All-County Fest in Holley

Photos courtesy of Orleans County Music Educators Association: The Junior High All-County Band, led by guest conductor Brendon Bardo, performed four selections in the Holley Middle-High School Auditorium on Saturday afternoon.

Press Release, Orleans County Music Educators Association

HOLLEY – This past Friday and Saturday, Holley Middle-High School hosted the first of two All-County Festivals that the Orleans County Music Educators Association will sponsor this winter.

This month’s festival featured the Elementary All-County Chorus, Jr. High All-County Band, and the Sr. High All-County Chorus. To participate, students from the five school districts in Orleans County are recommended by their music teachers, who then set up a meeting to select the ensembles who perform at the two All-County Festivals.

The students spend nearly 8 hours rehearsing on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning before giving a concert on Saturday afternoon. This festival featured three guest conductors, one for each of the performing ensembles.

Ms. Jean-Marie Carroll, 6th grade Choir and General Music Teacher from Bay Trail Middle School in the Penfield School District, was the guest conductor for the Elementary All-County Choir.

Ms. Carroll led students in a diverse selection of works including: I’m Seein’ Things at Night – Gilpin, I Will Dream of You, Doraji – Donnelly & Strid, The Dream Keeper – Dilworth, and We Will – Papoulis. The choir was made up of 91 fifth- and sixth-grade students from Orleans County.

Mr. Brendon Bardo, 7-12 Band Director at the Akron School District, served as the guest conductor for the Jr. High All-County Band. Mr. Bardo and the band worked up four selections: Spania – Shaffer, A Kind and Gentle Soul – Swearingen, High Intensity – Wilson, The Great Locomotive Chase – Smith. The band featured 78 students from grades 7 to 9 from Orleans County.

Mr. James DesJardins, Choral Teacher from Frontier Central Schools and published music composer with Carl Fischer Music and Boosey & Hawkes, was the guest conductor for the Sr. High All-County Chorus.

Mr. DesJardins programmed four selections, including his own work: The Word Was Good – Powell, Eve Novum – Gjielo, The Heavens Are Telling – Haydn, Sawubona – DesJardins. The choir assembled 67 students in grades 10 to 12 from all over Orleans County.

The next OCMEA All-County Festival will be hosted in Medina on March 6th and 7th, featuring the Elementary All-County Band, Jr. High All-County Chorus, and the Sr. High All-County Band.

OCMEA will also be hosting a brand new “Night of Jazz” at Lyndonville Central Schools on Friday, April 24th. The evening will feature performances by Jazz Ensembles from all five Orleans County Schools, a Junior-Senior “All Star” Jazz Band, and an OCMEA Staff Jazz Ensemble. Admission will be free, although a suggested donation for the OCMEA Scholarship Fund will gladly be accepted, and refreshments will be provided in conjunction with Music and Band Boosters from across the County.

The OCMEA Scholarship Fund is available to all student musicians in Orleans County who are pursuing extracurricular music opportunities such as music camps, private lessons, community theatre opportunities, and more.