(Editor’s Note: The following article was submitted by Big Lake Schools.)

The Mississippi 8 Conference Honor Band, Honor Choir and Honor Jazz Band was held Monday January 17th at Becker High School.  These groups are the top musicians from the Mississippi 8 schools of Becker, Big Lake, Cambridge-Isanti, Chisago Lakes, Monticello, North Branch, Princeton and St. Francis.  The musicians are selected by nomination by each of their prospective directors.  The student musicians rehearsed during the day, and presented a closing concert that evening.

The concert band program included:  Overture for Winds, Charles Carter; Cajun Folk Songs, Frank Ticheli; Song for Lindsay, Andrew Boysen; and Affirmation, Randall D. Standridge. 

The jazz band program included:  Dat Dere, Bobby Timmons/Arr.; Erik Morales, Spain, Chick Corea/Arr. Paul Jenning;  Jamie, Sammy Nestico; and Such Sweet Thunder, Ellington/Strayhorn/Arr. Mike Kamuf. 

The choir program consisted of Afternoon On a Hill by Minnesota-born composer Eric Barnum; Swedish
Folksong Trilo; O Love by contemporary Iowa composer Elaine Hagenberg; and an arrangement of the African American Spiritual Walk In Jerusalem by active composer/conductor/educator Rollo Dilworth.

Clinician for the Concert Band was Dr. Ward Miller, Jazz Band was David Mantini, director at North Hennepin Community College and for the Choir, Dr. Bradley Miller on music faculty at the College of Saint Benedict/Saint John’s University.