JP Stevens High School recently hosted its annual Band Winter Concert on February 14. The concert included performances from the band’s three main groups: the Freshmen Band, Symphonic Band, and Wind Ensemble. Directed by Mr. John Zazzali, Mr. Raymond Henricksen, and Ms. Pamela Ferrali, the concert showcased the school’s incredible reputation within its music department.

The Symphonic Band was the first band on stage, led by Mr. Henricksen, who conducted his first-ever Winter Concert with JPS. They began with a march, “The Pathfinder of Panama” by John Philip Sousa. Their second piece was the first movement of “Songs of Old Kentucky” by Brant Karrick, a slower and more sentimental ballad. The band ended with “Arabian Dances” by Brian Balmages, which presented an extensive percussion feature. 

The Freshman Band was next, also performing a march. Their piece was “Darklands March” by Randall D. Stanbridge. Their other two pieces were “Cumberland Falls” by Brant Karrick, who composed one of the Symphonic Band arrangements, and “Rondo for Winds and Percussion” by Walter S. Hartley. 

The Wind Ensemble was the last band to perform under the direction of Mr. Zazzali. Their march was “Symphonic Concert March” by Giouse Bonelli. Similar to the previous two bands, the Wind Ensemble slowed the pace with a melodic song, “ISS Flyover” by Pete Meechan. Finally, the band ended the night with “Divertimento For Band” by Vincent Persichetti, a longer piece, featuring six movements with multiple solos throughout. 

“It’s always fun to finally show some of the music that our bands have been working so hard on,” said sophomore Sahil Kulkarni, a musician who plays bass clarinet for the Wind Ensemble. “Overall, it was pretty fulfilling for everything to come together.”

A variety of small ensemble groups were also featured throughout the night, performing in between each of the three main bands. The ensembles included a Clarinet Quartet and Quintet, a Flute Quartet, a Percussion Sextet, and a Saxophone Quintet, all composed of musicians from the Wind Ensemble. 

“All of the band members are rewarded in public for what they’ve practiced for hours on end in private and that’s what it’s really all about,” said Mr. Zazzali, summarizing the evening. “I’m proud of all of them and want to see that drive continue.”

The JPS Band Winter Concert was overall a great night filled with incredible performances. From the dramatic marches to the moving ballads, each piece showed off the incredible skill of both the directors and the students. The success of the event can certainly be attributed to the hard work and dedication that was put in by the students in preparation for what was an entertaining show.