When the Sun City Concert Band performs at Huntley High School, they do a lot more than just play music.
Every year in March, the Band teams up with the high school’s six instrumental groups in a combined concert in the high school’s performing arts center. This year’s event took place on March 8. After the high school’s symphonic band, jazz ensemble, percussion ensemble, and two wind ensembles strutted their stuff with a variety of classical, traditional folk, and pop numbers, the concert band came to the stage and played two numbers with the wind ensembles.
This puts more than 100 musicians on the PAC stage for an impressive climax. Jerry McClellan, president of the concert band, conducted “Elsa’s Procession to the Cathedral,” by Richard Wagner. The musical festivities concluded as high school band director Philip Carter conducted the U.S. Field Artillery March by John Philip Sousa.
But the Sun City Band was far from finished. The group has supported the high school’s instrumental programs and students financially for many years, and this year was no exception. Scholarships to three outstanding students for a summer camp and direct donations to the high school band programs totaled $5,058.
Pam Jorgenson, Sun City’s Concert Band conductor, took the stage to present $650 scholarships each to three students: trumpeter Andrew Ossler, clarinetist Peyton Kerley, and French horn player Rebekah Green.
“Normally, we only award one scholarship per year, but this year, we had so many outstanding candidates that we just couldn’t pick one, so we chose to increase our giving to three scholarships,” McLellan said. All three of the scholarship winners play in several ensembles at the high schools, and are planning to pursue instrumental music careers after graduation. Rebekah’s goal is to join a professional orchestra some day, and Peyton hopes to become a music teacher. Andrew’s passion is jazz music. All three will attend the University of Illinois Summer Youth Music Camp this coming summer.
In addition, the Sun City band annually dedicates its scholarship to a member of the band who has passed away. This year’s awards were given in memory of David Aitken, a Sun Citian and tuba player who died last June.
“He and his wife, Diane, who is one of our flute players, have lived in Neighborhood 36 and have played many concerts with us,” McClellan said. “David always said the high school combined concert was his favorite. He was an avid follower of the University of Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team, and in the past few years David and Diane became huge fans of the Huntley High School girls basketball team. Our donation program at this event this year was highlighted by a $1,000 gift from one of our corporate sponsors.”
Donations at the concert totaled $2,108, and the band presented all of it, along with another $1,000 check, to the high school’s instrumental music activities.
