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Centreville High School’s Wildcat Band will turn its bus loop into an outdoor concert venue Friday, May 16, for an evening of cartoon-inspired music, food trucks and family activities.
The fourth annual “Bandemonium!” begins at 6:30 p.m. and is free to attend. This year’s theme, “A Night of Toons,” will unite students from the school’s band, orchestra, choir and theater programs.
Performances will feature the Winterguard, JazzCats, Percussion Ensembles, Concert Band, Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble. The festivities will open with all the bands joining together to perform composer Katahj Copley’s “Halcyon Hearts.”
Band Director Melissa Hall said the work reflects the warmth of love and the unexpected journey of finding it, using the ensemble’s color and energy to convey ambition and passion.
The JazzCats will present a food-themed program called “Let’s Eat!” spanning swing, funk, rock and Latin jazz. Student vocalists from the band and choral departments will be featured on “Mack the Knife,” “Pure Imagination” and “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing).” Orchestra students will also perform with the jazz ensemble.
The Concert Band’s program includes “Theme to the Simpsons” and Carmen Gassi’s “Compass Points West,” a piece inspired by the anticipation, uncertainty and adventure of 15th-century voyages from Europe to America.
The Symphonic Band will perform the “Looney Tunes Overture,” followed by Erik Morales’ “The Runaway Circus Train,” which depicts a circus train’s increasingly chaotic trip to its next destination. The group will close with “Tijuana Taxi,” originally recorded by Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass.
The Wind Ensemble will begin with Rick DeJonge’s “A Toonful Tune,” a playful salute to cartoon scores that incorporates a high-pitched scream, ensemble laughter and whoopee-cushion sound effects. Its program also includes Frank Ticheli’s arrangement of “Shenandoah,” which moves from quiet reflection toward optimism and exaltation.
Selections from the musical and movie “Wicked” are also planned. The concert will conclude with the band’s traditional end-of-year performance of John Philip Sousa’s “The Stars and Stripes Forever.”
Beyond the music, students from Centreville High’s Art Club will offer face painting. Guests can also get balloon animals and Wildcat paw-print tattoos or dance along to jazz performances.
El Jefe Wood Fired Pizza, KBBQ Box, Two Smooth Dudes, Kona Ice and Adam’s Delights Ice Cream will sell food and desserts during the event. Menu options will include wood-fired pizza, Korean and internationally influenced dishes, gourmet tater tots, wraps, salads and pineapple smoothies.
About 500 folding chairs will be available, though attendees are encouraged to bring picnic blankets or camping chairs. If rain interrupts the outdoor plans, the concert will move into the school cafeteria.
Hall said the event has become a well-received tradition for the school and surrounding community, giving students another opportunity to share their music in a free, family-friendly setting.