Family and friends came from all around to see the performance of both the Symphonic and Wind Ensemble bands at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, April 28, in the Harriet Fulton Theatre.

After an opening piece came Symphonette for Band by Frank Erickson with direction by student conductor Lindsay Roberts.

She gave a smooth and precise direction to a fine piece.

Next came the Chesapeake Overture, a piece by John O'Reilly and directed by another student conductor, David Sinclair who has recently won the student solo competition.

The Symphonic Band program closed with director Gregg Gausline coming back out to conduct a riveting piece called Among the Clouds by Brian Balmages.

The Wind Ensemble coming out all decked in black was quite a sight to see and one could see the faces of parents beaming with pride.

After an opening piece, they played Concertino for Marimba and Band by Paul Creston. Again, this utilized the talents of Sinclair as he played a flawless performance on the marimba.

This piece was most enjoyable in its two parts, for just when the audience thought it was over, it went from calm to vigorous.

After another piece came Ave Maria by Franz Biebl with guest conductor Dennis Johnson from Murray State.

Following this, most players cleared the stage except a handful of ladies on various wood wind instruments for Scherzino by Fisher Tull.

Finally the performance ended with an exhilarating piece called Blue Shades by Frank Ticheli, in which student, Michael Walsh, gave a breathtaking solo on the clarinet.

The symphonic band, which went first, is mostly comprised of marching band members, but not necessarily majors, with the wind ensemble being more advanced and comprised of music majors

Director Gausline was very pleased with both bands performances stating, “I think students put more time into this than marching band, and it’s a shame not many people get to see it.”

Gausline will be taking a position at Indiana University, Fort Wayne.