LYS Fall Concert 2025

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Strings Ensemble

Jonathan West, Director

  • Violin
    Molly Abel (Apex)
    Parinita Adithya (Altona Middle)
    Juniper Blankenship (Mead Middle)
    Logan Carville (Centennial Elementary)
    Amalea de Lorimier (Homeschool)
    Hazel Duff (Flagstaff Academy)
    Rosie Hahn (Erie Middle)
    Louisa Jurkovich (Saint Vrain Community Montessori School)
    Elijah Margheim (Firestone Charter Academy)
    Darci Peck (Longs Peak Middle)
    Siddharth Rajasekharan (Altona Middle)
    Pranav Sankar (Peak to Peak)
    Samuel Villarreal (Homeschool)
    River Watkins (St Vrain Launch Ed (Online))

    Viola
    James Anderson (Twin Peaks)
    Wren Judy (Meadowlark)
    Isabella Lofquist (Meadowlark)
    Vivian Meier (Silver Creek High)
    Gavin Rushton (Astravo)

    Cello
    Marlowe Campbell (Sunset Middle)
    Amelia Hart (St. Vrain Community Montessori School)
    Jaxsen Millard (Altona Middle)
    Howie Morarie (Apex Homeschool Program)
    Bennett Nichols (St Vrain Montessori)
    Ellea Overlease (Mead Middle)
    Jacob Rush (Westview Middle)
    Aarav Shah (Shining Mountain Waldorf School)
    Keira Stephens (Altona Middle)
    Sam Winheld (Westview Middle)

    Bass
    Elise Wowk (Erie Middle)
    Lily Edwards-Nipp (Westview Middle)

Program: Group A

  • The Holberg Suite, Op. 40, more properly From Holberg's Time , subtitled "Suite in olden style", is a suite of five movements based on eighteenth-century dance forms, written by Edvard Grieg in 1884 to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Dano-Norwegian humanist playwright Ludvig Holberg (1684–1754).

    It exemplifies nineteenth-century music which makes use of musical styles and forms from the preceding century. Although not as famous as Grieg's incidental music from Peer Gynt, which is itself usually performed as arranged in a pair of suites, many critics regard the works as of equal merit. Notes from Wikipedia.

  • 1. Lough Foyle View

    2. The Three Murphys Jig

    Soloist: Siddharth Rajasekharan, violin

    This engaging piece was inspired by the beautiful scenery of Inishowen, a peninsula in Northern Ireland. The first movement is slow and lyrical, depicting the beauty of standing on the shore, looking at the sea. The second movement is a fun jig, portraying a group of sheepdogs playing in the fields. In the last section, themes from both movements are combined for a powerful finish.

  • Experience the diverse cultures of Singapore in a whirlwind of sonorities! From the opening harmonic glissandos to the innovative special effects sounds that imitate authentic instruments such as the ehru, pipa, and gamelan, this work is brilliantly orchestrated.

Program: Group B

  • The haunting Sakura melody moves through stunning and beautiful transformations in this musical fantasy before finally coming to rest.

  • Return to ancient Rome and the revolt of Spartacus! The opening signifies the harsh life of a gladiator, while a fast, energetic section pays homage to his brilliance as a military tactician.

Symphonic Band

Carrie Borja, Director

  • Baritone
    Denver Lindsay (Longmont High)

    Bassoon
    Emily Cook (Altona Middle)

    Clarinet
    Emma Cook (Altona Middle)
    Aubrey Zoch (LaunchEd Online School)

    Flute
    Madelyn Lucero (Westview Middle)
    Sophie Scott (Mead Middle)

    French Horn
    Braiden Shea (Coal Ridge Middle)

    Percussion
    Zoe Schreurs (Mead Middle)

    Saxophone
    Skyller Fields (Erie Middle)
    Lily Reed (Altona Middle)
    Tessa Welch (Westview Middle)

    Trombone
    Kelvin Atteberry (Longmont High)
    Liam Diehm (Longmont High)
    Simon Guile (Westview Middle)
    Silas Harrison (Westview Middle)

    Trumpet
    Ben Carville (Coal Ridge Middle )
    Eva Fuhr (Westview Middle )
    Travis Plaster (Longmont High )
    Lily Simon (Westview Middle)

    Tuba
    Henry Brooks (Westview Middle)

Program

  • Carol Brittin Chambers is a widely performed and respected composer and educator, recognized for her engaging and pedagogically sound compositions. Her background as a successful band director allows her to write music that is technically rewarding for student and community ensembles while remaining highly effective and entertaining for the audience. Dedication Fanfare is one of her signature pieces, often chosen for dedications, anniversaries, and grand openings due to its unequivocally optimistic and majestic spirit.

    The energy and momentum of Dedication Fanfare make it an ideal choice to celebrate any new beginning or significant achievement.

  • Robert W. Smith (1958–2023) was one of the most prolific and important composers and educators in contemporary concert band literature. As a composer, arranger, and conductor, he contributed an immense body of work—from beginner pieces to advanced contest selections—that has shaped the musical development of countless students globally. His music is celebrated for its cinematic scope, emotional depth, and pedagogical value, making him a favorite of both band directors and audiences. Lullaby for Band remains a staple for its ability to teach profound musicality through simple, expressive means.

  • Apollo Marsch presents a fascinating intersection of musical history, bringing the work of Romantic-era German composer Josephine Lang (1815-1880) into the modern concert band repertoire through the insightful arrangement of Josh Trentadue. Originally written in 1860, this work showcases Lang’s command of melody and her sophisticated harmonic language, traits for which she was primarily known as a composer of lieder (art songs).

  • Flashpoint is an electrifying and contemporary work that immediately commands attention with its intense energy and driving rhythmic structure. Composed in 2020, the piece explores a moment of sudden, overwhelming crisis or excitement—a "flashpoint"—where tensions erupt and resolve in a dramatic, cinematic flourish.

Symphony Orchestra

Rachel Waddell, Director

  • Flute
    Ash Wicklein, Principal (Legacy High) Katie Wicklein

    Oboe
    Ronja King, Principal (Longmont High)

    Clarinet
    Yoona Jung, Principal (Niwot High)
    Matthew Legg (Skyline High)

    Bassoon
    Karen Gregg
    Aiden Habib (University of Northern Colorado)

    Horn
    Joseph Lee, Principal (Longmont High)
    Dani Richard (University of Colorado - Boulder)

    Trumpet
    Connor Lindsay, Principal (Longmont High)
    Gabriel Thorson (Longmont High)

    Trombone
    Owen Simon, Principal (Niwot High)
    Tristan Perry

    Violin 1
    Lucas Menza, Concertmaster, Schubert (Twin Peaks Classical Academy)
    Emily Payne, Concertmaster, Bartok (Niwot High)
    Adam Wegner (Longmont High)
    Sam Cooper (Colorado State University)

    Violin 2
    Michael Vassilyev, Principal (Niwot HS)
    Madison Burke (CIVICA CO)
    Clarissa Román (Skyline High)
    Mia Vinod (Altona Middle)

    Viola
    Fernando Gurrola, Principal (Skyline HS)
    Michelle Smith (Silver Creek High)
    Layla Wilkins (Silver Creek High)

    Cello
    Shea Archie, Principal (Skyline High)
    Titus Galloway (Longmont High)
    Jacob Hodek (Frederick High)
    Violet Kush (Longmont High)
    Iris Lee (Altona Middle)
    Ava Locker (Longmont High)
    William Quinlan (Niwot High)

    Bass
    Charlotte Castañeda, Principal (Niwot High)

Program

  • Romanian Folk Dances
    Béla Bartók (1881-1945)

    I.  Bot tánc / Jocul cu bâtă (Stick Dance)
    II.  Brâul (Sash Dance)
    III.  Topogó / Pe loc (In One Spot)
    IV.  Bucsumí tánc / Buciumeana (Dance from Bucsum)
    V.  Román polka / Poarga Românească (Romanian Polka)
    VI.  Aprózó / Mărunțel (Fast Dance)

    Romanian Folk Dances is a suite of six short piano pieces composed by Béla Bartók in 1915. He later orchestrated it for small ensemble in 1917.

    It is based on seven Romanian tunes from Transylvania, originally played on fiddle or shepherd's flute. Its title was originally Romanian Folk Dances from Hungary but was later changed by Bartók when Transylvania became part of Romania in 1920.

  • Symphony No. 8 in B Minor, "Unfinished”
    Franz Schubert (1797-1828)

    I. Allegro moderato
    II. Andante con moto

    Schubert's Eighth Symphony is sometimes called the first Romantic symphony (an attribution also given to Beethoven's Eroica Symphony which premiered 17 years earlier), due to its emphasis on the lyrical impulse within the dramatic structure of Classical sonata form. Furthermore, its orchestration is not solely tailored for functionality, but specific combinations of instrumental timbre that are prophetic of the later Romantic movement, with wide vertical spacing occurring for example at the beginning of the development.

    To this day, musicologists still disagree as to why Schubert failed to complete the symphony. Some have speculated that he stopped work in the middle of the scherzo in the fall of 1822 because he associated it with his initial outbreak of syphilis—or that he was distracted by the inspiration for his Wanderer Fantasy for solo piano, which occupied his time and energy immediately afterward. It could have been a combination of both factors.