Carlton Comprehensive High School’s band students will showcase their skills at a live concert titled ‘A Night At the Movies’ on Tuesday, April 25 in the Carlton Cafetorium.

Carlton Band teacher Brenda Bernath said last year’s concert entitled ‘Where is the Love?’ dealt with heavy subject matter and was delayed two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic. After dealing with such a serious topic, they were looking for lighter fare this year.

“Everyone is trying to rebuild their band programs after COVID and so focusing on music that the students recognize and enjoy was important,” Bernath wrote in an email to the Herald. “Being able to have them find the joy of music again, and truly build and celebrate their skills is key to the band program being able to bounce back.”

This year the band will be performing a selection of music from the movies. The list of composers includes popular favourites like John Williams. Bernath said focusing on movies gave them a great depth of choices.

“Movie music is something that everyone enjoys,” she wrote. “When we add music to movies it helps to portray the emotion of the film. Without music, movies would not be the same.

“There are so many great composers that write incredible music for movies. Some of the pieces are so powerful and moving; they have to power to really make the listener feel something. As a group, we have had the opportunity to see professional symphony concerts which focus on movie music, and the students have always loved them, so I figured, ‘why not try it ourselves?’”

It won’t just be students in the Carlton Band performing. They’ll be accompanied by students in the school’s media arts program, who have created video and visual art as a back drop for the band’s music.

There will also be a couple of extra-curricular music groups featured during the intermission, and a concession stand to make it feel like a theatre.

“The evening is really just meant to be a fun night of entertainment, while highlighting and celebrating the skills of our students at the same time,” Bernath wrote. “Besides the Tuesday night concert, we will be performing Wednesday and Thursday morning for some of our elementary band students.”

She added that some ensemble pieces will be used for elementary concerts but not on Tuesday.

Ticket prices are adults $5 and students and children free. The concert starts at 7 p.m.

michael.oleksyn@paherald.sk.ca