The Oak Grove High School Wind Ensemble received a one-minute standing ovation this weekend after its performance at the Band of America/Musical for All performance in Lafayette, La.
The group’s performance comes before the school’s four bands perform for the South Region state evaluations beginning April 16 at Oak Grove High School.
Director Sharon Laird said the 56 members of the Wind Ensemble were invited to play at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
“Music for All is the concert version of it,” she said. “You have to submit an application and we were chosen from bands throughout the region. We performed before a packed house of judges from all across the United States, band directors and band students. It was a great event.”
Laird said the group’s performance was well-received.
“We got some really great comments from adjudicators,” she said.
However, for Laird, the students also made a good impression away from the concert state.
“One of the best things to me as a teacher was that both the bus company and the hotel that we stayed said that this was the best group of students they had ever dealt with,” she said. “So, our group greatly represented Oak Grove and our community. Our parents should be very proud that we can take a group of teenagers off and they act so well behaved.”
The group also went to the Aquarium of the Americas in New Orleans as a side trip during the adventure.
For the third year, the Mississippi High School Activities Association’s State Band Evaluation for the South Region will be at Oak Grove, from April 16-19 beginning at 9 a.m.
Oak Grove’s eighth-grade band, Concert Band, Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble will all compete April 16.
Laird said the Wind Ensemble will perform “The Twelve Gallon Hat” by Julie Giroux, “Elsa’s Procession to the Cathedral” by Richard Wagner and “Second Suite in F for Military Band” by Gustav Holst for evaluation.
After Laird retires at the end of the school year, former OGHS band member Jerry Pickering, first-year director of the Northwest Rankin High School band, will take over the band. Laird announced her retirement earlier this year.
She is president of the Mississippi Bandmasters Association and Pickering is second vice president.
