Mr. Moore's Website

Attn: Percussion Ensemble

To the folks involved with "Blue Rhythm Quintet" for next year.  Please remember we are rehearsing on Wednesday and Thursday morning this week. 7:15am.  See you then.

MM

SHDHS Takes The Trifecta

From Tuesday, May 13th to the early morning hours of Saturday May 17th, the SHDHS Senior Concert Band, Wind Enesmble and Percussion Ensemble had the honour of traveling to our nation's capital, Ottawa, to represent our school at the National level. Only the very best of the best are invited to represent Ontario at the National level, and to have three of our ensembles qualify for such an excursion is a true testament to the hard work and dedication of our music students at South Huron. The bands represented our school well under the discerning and critical eyes of the National panel of adjudicators.

After all was said and done, the music students at South Huron performed so well, and with such energy that the adjudicators awarded our students with every honour they could.

Our Wind Ensemble performed first, and because of their emotional, technical and exciting playing, were awarded a silver standing. A silver award is a very difficult thing to attain at the national level, and the Wind Ensemble should be very proud of this accomplishment.

The Senior Concert band played next, and played very well. A few technical and musical issues kept this group from achieving the few extra points they needed to achieve the silver, and were awarded a very high bronze standard. The group should be very proud of how they played that afternoon, as there were some of the greatest musical moments of the trip experienced that day.

The next day, our percussion ensemble performed a very late spot on the National Arts Centre's stage. The energy and musicianship shown from this group was nothing short of mind-blowing, and these musicians found a rhythm and a stride that unarguably led to one of their greatest performances to date. The adjudicators responded, awarding this group the highest recognition they have available, and one that is only reserved for the best around: gold.

Outside of the competition, there were performances by our White Jazz combo as well. This combo was given the honour of performing at a classy dinner for hundreds of Musicfest participants. The group played a lot of crowd favourites, and they responded by riotous applause and appreciation for our group. A huge congratulations to those students for their courage and energy for their performance that night.

Also impressive was to experience the National Concert Band, a group that our very own Carly Schroeder was invited to play with. Carly was one of a very select few students from all across Canada who were invited to play with this prestigious group of young musicians. Our students stayed to witness Carly's performance with this group, and we were all very impressed with their technical and musical abilities as a group. Congratulations Carly for achieving this great honour, and although we missed having you as a part of our trip, we were all so proud to see you as a part of the NCB.

It wasn't all business on this trip out for our music students, though. We saw many amazing concerts, saw some amazing historical sites like the Diefenbunker, went on a dance cruise of the Ottawa river and much more.

Despite all of the amazing musical experiences, the fun, the laughs and the more serious moments, what was most impressive was the teamwork and togetherness that our group so amazingly displays at all times. You are all a part of the biggest team at our school, and you acted that way at all times. The spirit, maturity and responsibility of the South Huron music students was by far the most impressive aspect of all that we did together, and I applaud and thank you all for being the great people that you are. You represented our community so exceptionally well, and showed the whole country what SHDHS is all about.

[photo gallery]

Photos courtesy Karen Brown

Notes about This Upcoming Week and our Trip to Musicfest Canada

This week marks our departure to Ottawa for Musicfest Canada.  First, let me congratulate you all on your dedication and work ethic leading up to this important and exciting trip.  You've worked long and hard to ensure that the music sounds great, and we're about to go and show the whole country what South Huron is made of.  You should be really proud of these accomplishments, as invitations to the Nationals are not earned easily, and the fact that three of our groups are represented is truly an astonishing success.   The key is to play as well as you can, remember all of the things we talk about in rehearsals concerning the music, stage etiquette, respect for each other and your community, thinking of the group above all else and having fun while doing it.  I think if we can apply all of those things while we're away, we're going to have a very successful and fulfilling trip.

A couple of reminders leading into this week:

1) Percussion Ensemble: Remember we are meeting Monday morning at 7:15 as usual to rehearse and iron out a few last minute musical and logistical details.  Please ensure you are there.

2) All members: Please ensure you bring your LARGE (checked) bag to school on Monday, May 12th or sometime in the evening BEFORE 6PM.  This will ensure your bag is tagged with a South Huron travel tag and that you are organized leading into Tuesday morning.  You may bring your small carry on bag with you on Tuesday morning.  Please no more than these two bags on this trip.  If you are planning on bringing anything other than these two pieces of luggage, please check with Mr. Moore beforehand.  It is imperative that you follow these guidelines as we have a lot of gear we're bringing with us this time.

3) Please arrive on-time on Tuesday morning.  I'm asking that all band members arrive at 7:30am on Tuesday morning.  The buses will arrive at 8:00am at the latest (likely before that) and I'd like to leave as soon as possible after that.  The itinerary says we're pulling out of South Huron by 8:30am, but I'd like to leave before that if we possibly can to ensure we have time to check into our hotel before the dinner and concert Tuesday night.

4) Uniform: It's very important that you have a proper uniform for this trip.  This means white collared short on top, black from the waist down (including black socks, shoes).   Please avoid any kind of stripes, logos, off-white, off-black or any other combination of these.  We need to look like unified group, and therefore need a uniform look.  If you can't make this work for whatever reason, see Mr. Moore or Mr. Weston for assistance.  Percussion ensemble, we are going all black as we discussed for your performance Thursday night.

5) Being ontime in general.  Life gets hectic sometimes, and we all sometimes have a tendency to run a little late, sleep in... whatever.  This cannot happen while we're away.  We need everyone to take responsibility for your punctuality and reliability.  If one of your chaperones tells you to be at a certain place at a certain time, you must follow these instructions and arrive on time or early.  We as chaperoes are responsible for your safety and well-being and we can't be wondering where you are at any given time.  Stay communicative with us and responsible for your own schedule.

6) Following the rules: You have all signed a contract pertaining to rules while we're away.  Please ensure you are following these at all times.  Future music trips will depend on the success of this one, and you can ensure its success by following these simple rules.  I don't need to remind you that a lot of people, organizations and the community at large have supported our trip, and we want to make them proud of you not only for your musical performances, but also in your character and personal decisions you make while away representing your community and school.

7) Have fun. We have a great itinerary planned, some wonderful opportunities to perform in one of the most beautiful performance spaces in Canada, and most importantly, a chance to connect with your fellow band members and be a part of a common goal together, as a group.  I'm very excited about a wonderful trip away with you, and I know many of you are excited as well.  Let's work to make this one of the best music trips ever!

MM

SHDHS Percussion take SILVER at Kiwanis London

In the afternoon of Wednesday, April 30th, the SHDHS Percussion Ensemble traveled to London Central Secondary School to participate in the Kiwanis Festival of London's Percussion Ensemble Class. There were percussion ensembles represented from high schools such as Regina Mundi College, HB Beal Secondary School, and London Central Secondary School. All ensembles competed in the Percussion Ensemble - Secondary School open class and were adjudicated by Dr. Jill Ball, a professor of percussion at the University of Western Ontario.

Under the watchful eye of adjudicator Dr. Jill Ball, the SHDHS percussionists performed a long and very challenging program for adjudication consisting of the material the ensemble intends on performing at the National Musicfest in May. In the end, the group took home a silver standing.

The experience of playing this repertoire in front of a discerning audience, a chance to see other schools perform and getting professional written feedback from Dr. Ball all combined to make this a very successful trip for our percussionists.

The SHDHS Percussion Ensemble is excited to play for the student body, alongside our senior band, on Thursday May 8th as a warm up to our trip to Nationals in mid-May. We look forward to seeing you all there.

Reminders for Band Members about Cabaret

Hello all music students associated with Cabaret!

The following are five quick reminders about this weekend's shows:

1) Call time is one half hour before the show starts.  Saturday this would be 6:30pm, Sunday this would be 1:30pm.  Please meet and warmup in the music room.

2) Full uniform please.  White on top, black on bottom (including black socks and shoes)

3) Remember to bring your food/drink contribution on the day for which you signed up.

4) When you are not performing, you are sitting on the stage, watching the other performers and supporting your fellow music students.

5) Please stay away from the food tables while the Cabaret is on.  The refreshments are for our paying guests only.  However, leftover timbits are fair game at concert end.

If for some reason you have not squared up with Mr. Moore concerning tickets and money, you need to take care of that ASAP.

Thank you all for your hard work practicing, selling tickets and promoting our shows.  I think this year's Cabaret is going to be great!  See you all on Saturday!

SHDHS Bands Take Silver and Gold

A huge congratulations goes out to all members of the Intermediate Band, Senior Band, Wind Ensemble and Percussion Ensemble who performed at today's Musicfest festivities in London. The students were involved with a very long day of making music and SHDHS, as usual, faired very well.

First, our newly-minted Wind Ensemble under the direction of Mr. Moore took the stage at 8:30am for a challenging program consisting of works by Jutras, Holst and W. Francis McBeth. The group performed very well, and received a lot of critical praise from adjudicators and audience members alike. The Wind Ensemble performed so well, in fact, that we were awarded a silver standing and we were invited to participate in Musicfest at a National level. These invitations are only given to select groups, and we were proud to receive this invitation.

Next, our Intermediate Band took the stage at 9:30am and performed their program under the direction of Mr. Weston. The band played well, with a lot of energy and enthusiasm, and were awarded a silver standing.

After a long break, our Senior Band under the direction of Mr, Moore took the stage at 4:00pm for their performance. Bolstering one of the largest concert bands at the festival today, SHDHS looked very impressive on stage together in the Oakridge auditorium. The band played with a great deal of musicality and precision, and was awarded a silver+ award, which was only a few marks away from gold.

Finally, our Percussion Ensemble under the direction of Mr. Moore and Mr. David Robilliard took the stage to an enthusiastic and curious audience. This group proved that hard work pays off, by performing a very challenging and exciting musical program. The adjudicators were overwhelmed by their performance, and offered a very enthusiastic gold award to this ensemble. The percussion ensemble at SHDHS should be very proud of this accomplishment, but also understand that there is work still to be done!

A huge thanks goes out to Carleen Hone, Karen Brown and Bob Robilliard from myself and Mr. Weston for accompanying our trip and sharing in our successes. We appreciate your support and willingness to help out. Also, a huge thanks to all the music students in all performing bands today. I can't begin to describe the pride I felt for all of you today, as you not only saw and conquered some extreme musical challenges together, but you also approached these challenges with an unbridled excitement and overall sense of dedication to the group. Thank you all for your hard work leading up to, and including today's experience. You've made the South Huron community very proud of you.

A Note About Rehearsals for the Week of January 21st and Beyond

Last week, I announced that we will be taking a break from rehearsals this upcoming week of January 21st,  both in preparation for your exams and also because of the various emotional situations that have faced our school community lately.  I feel that you all deserve this break and have worked hard to receive it.

However, I'd like to remind all music students in all ensembles that our festival competition takes place in London on March 4th and 5th.  This is always a very important time for our department and our bands, as this yearly event is what we work towards all year.   

This year, we've chosen some very challenging repertoire in all groups, and I want to stress the importance of consistent personal practice when it comes to your individual parts. Although you are getting a break from rehearsals this week, commit to taking your instrument home for practice this week and during exams.

It is necessary for ALL of us to be in proper form musically going forward with rehearsals in second semester, and proper attention to our parts is necessary for our success in March.  I feel that our bands are a team effort, and we cannot be successful without the proper amount of dedication to personal practice and attendance at morning rehearsals from all our members.

The names of the pieces we will be playing at festival this year are listed below.  Please see me if you are in need of photocopied parts for your personal use.

Have a great break, good luck on your exams, take care of each other and I look forward to seeing everyone back at rehearsals (attending regularly!) in semester two.

Mr. Moore

Senior Band
Clash of the Ironclads
Shenandoah
Rolling Thunder

Wind Ensemble
Inversia
Cause and Celebration
March from Second Suite in F

Intermediate Band
Panther in the Sky
Fairest of the Fair
Donkey Riding

Percussion Ensemble
Xylatin (see me for parts)
Bonham
Ceremonium

Black Jazz
Beefstake Charlies
Edward H
Peaches and T

Musicfest London 2008 Schedule Confirmed

Tuesday, March 4th, 2008

OAKRIDGE SECONDARY SCHOOL, LONDON ON [click for map]

8:30am - Wind Ensemble
9:30am - Intermediate Band
4:00pm - Senior Band
5:30pm - Percussion Ensemble

Wednesday, March 5th, 2008

WESTMINSTER SECONDARY SCHOOL, LONDON, ON [click for map]

12:00pm - Black Jazz

All events are free to attend and open to the public.  Parents are encouraged to attend! Please contact Mr. Moore if you require more information.

Percussion Ensemble Recording for 2007-08

Click below to download a recording of "Bonham"!

Download "Bonham" by Christopher Rouse