Walking through the hallways on any given day at Xaverian, students can hear the Concert Band jamming away at their songs practicing for various events throughout the year. However, through all of the honks, squeaks, and beats of the drums, the Concert Band has been preparing for one of the most important performances of the year - The Concert Festival hosted by the Massachusetts Instrumental Choral and Conductors Association. To say that this was a momentous occasion for the Concert Band, led under the direction of Dr. Thorp, is an understatement. The 2022-2023 academic year marked the inaugural year for the Xaverian Concert Band, compared to other public high schools whose bands have been around for several decades. Dr. Thorp and the band had their work cut out for them, but after several months of hard work, practicing, and striving for musical excellence, the band’s effort paid off. 

In the early morning of April 1, the band picked up their instruments and headed to Foxborough High School, where they would play A Shaker Hymn (John O’Reilly), Imperium (Michael Sweeney), and Court Festival (William Byrd), a collection of Renaissance and movie soundtrack-style pieces in front an enthusiastic audience of parents, faculty, and competition judges. The bombastic efforts of the band checked all the right boxes, resulting in a Bronze Award Plaque, which will be proudly displayed in the Fine Arts Department rehearsal room. The Concert Band is certainly proud of their achievement, and would like to thank everyone who made it possible, especially for the immense emotional support and encouragement of the parents, many of whom were in the audience to see their son’s performance live. 

The band members are not cleaning and putting their instruments away just yet, however. Over 50 students from the Concert Band and various ensembles, including the Jazz Band and Chorus, will be performing at the Orlando Heritage Festival at Universal Orlando Resort in Orlando, FL on April 15. Students will be performing their pieces on the same soundstage where several critically acclaimed Hollywood movies were recorded, such as Jurassic Park, Pirates of the Caribbean, Back to the Future, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Finally, the Fine Arts Department will close out the year with the annual Spring Concert, which will be held on Wednesday, May 3.