Sounding polished and professional, Oxford Middle School’s eighth-grade concert band held its final performance last week at the OHS Performing Arts Center.
From British and Czech folk songs to The Beatles and James Bond, the 100-member band, directed by teacher Patrick Parrish, performed an eclectic and lively mix of tunes.
Perhaps the most interesting and impressive piece of music performed that evening was not one composed by some long dead legend or modern rock star.
Eighth-grader Rocco Tenaglia’s powerful and moving ‘Overture of War? brought the house down. ‘It’s a dark piece intended to depict the horror and agony of the battlefield,? explained Parrish.
Tenaglia composed his premiere piece over a three-month span, originally writing each instrumental part by hand with pencil and manuscript paper.
He later transferred his composition to a computer-based notation program, which enabled him to hear the progress of each part and efficiently edit his work.
‘It’s jagged, pounding rhythmic figures and C-minor tonal center create the mental imagery of violence and danger,? according to Parrish. ‘The melancholy of the slow middle section suggests despair in the aftermath of the battle. The pulsating melody returns in the final section, increasing in volume and intensity throughout the ending.?
After the concert, eighth-grader Larissa Krueger presented Parrish with a conductor’s score signed by the entire band and thanked him for all his hard work and dedication.