All County Band concert set for Thursday at Dillard Middle
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on March 31, 2010 1:46 PM
Band students from 15 middle and high schools will showcase their talents Thursday night during the annual All County Band Festival, which starts at 7 p.m. at Dillard Middle School.
More than 130 students will participate in the concert, which is free and open to the public.
Guest conductors are working with talent pooled from area schools in preparation for the concert.
The middle school director is Lou Ellen Wilson, who has taught K-6 general music in Ohio, served as band and choral director at Rosewood High school and is currently band instructor at Martin GT Magnet Middle School in Wake County. Since 2000, she has taught the beginning, intermediate, concert and jazz/rock bands and also created and teaches the school's current percussion ensemble class.
Geoffrey Tart will direct the high school band members. Tart has been director of bands for Hobbton Middle and Hobbton High schools in Johnston County for the past 11 years. Under his leadership, the marching and concert bands have received superior and excellent awards for outstanding recognition. His students are involved with a district band, honor band and all-county band.
In preparation for the countywide event, band directors at area schools have been working with their students. These include Jerome Powers of Brogden Middle, Ledford Wilson of Eastern Wayne Middle, Ryan Spell of Greenwood Middle, Daryl Richardson of Dillard Middle, Jonathan Jones of Grantham Middle, Blondell Oates of Mount Olive Middle, Kimberly Benson of Norwayne Middle, Melisa Riser of Rosewood Middle and Rosewood High, Samantha Stevens of Spring Creek Middle, Michael Palmer of Charles B. Aycock High, Tyrone Wagner of Eastern Wayne High, Daryl Richardson of Goldsboro High, Cindy Grant of Southern Wayne High and Timothy Heath of Spring Creek High.
Hope Meyerhoeffer, performing arts director for the school system, will serve as the evening's mistress of ceremonies.
Among the musical selections featured during the program are "Excalibur," "Trails of Glory," "Fire Dance," "The Chronicles of Narnia," "Cardinal Overture" and "Amber Waves of Grain."