The concert will be broadcast live here https://boxcast.tv/view/the-spring-concert-837896

The Benedictine High School Music Department will present their annual spring concert featuring an original arrangement and several selections saluting American heroes. Tonight's concert honors the courage and sacrifice of America’s military heroes and first responders. 

Per COVID-19 Guidelines we are limited to 45 in-person seats. Those seats are reserved for parents and families of Seniors. 

Program Notes: 

American Patrol: is a popular march written by Frank White (F.W.) Meacham in 1885. It incorporates both original musical themes by Meacham and melodies from American patriotic songs of the era. The format was intended to represent a military band approaching, passing, and fading into the distance.

In the Mood: is one of the most popular big band-era jazz standards ever. The most famous version was recorded by American bandleader Glenn Miller. It was featured in the movie Sun Valley Serenade and in an episode of the British science fiction series Doctor Who. "In the Mood" is based on the composition "Tar Paper Stomp" by Wingy Manone. The first recording under the name "In the Mood" was released by Edgar Hayes & His Orchestra in 1938. In 1983, the Glenn Miller recording from 1939 was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. In 2004, the recording was inducted into the Library of Congress National Recording Registry which consists of recordings that are "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant. “In 1999, National Public Radio (NPR) included the 1939 Glenn Miller recording in its list of "The 100 most important American musical works of the 20th century".

Star Dust: is an American popular song composed in 1927 by Hoagy Carmichael with lyrics added in 1929 by Mitchell Parish. Carmichael first recorded the song, originally titled “Star Dust “, at the Gennett Records studio in Richmond, Indiana. The song, “a song about a song about love “, played in an idiosyncratic melody in medium tempo, became an American standard, and is one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century, with over 1,500 total recordings. In 2004, Carmichael’s original 1927 recording of the song was one of 50 recordings chosen by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry. According to Carmichael, the inspiration for “Stardust” (the song’s original title was “Star Dust“, which has long been compounded into “Stardust”) came to him while he was on the campus of his alma mater, Indiana University, in Bloomington, Indiana. He began whistling the tune then rushed to the Book Nook, a popular student hangout, and started composing. He worked to refine the melody over the course of the next several months, likely in Bloomington or Indianapolis (sources cite various locations, and Carmichael himself liked to embellish the facts about the song’s origins). “Stardust” was first recorded in Richmond, Indiana, for Gennett Records (Gennett 6311) by Carmichael, with Emil Seidel and his Orchestra and the Dorsey brothers as “Hoagy Carmichael and His Pals,” on October 31, 1927, as a peppy (but mid-tempo) jazz instrumental. Carmichael said he was inspired by the types of improvisations made by Bix Beiderbecke. The tune at first attracted only moderate attention, mostly from fellow musicians, a few of whom (including Don Redman) recorded their own versions of Carmichael’s tune. Mitchell Parish wrote lyrics for the song, based on his own and Carmichael’s ideas, which were published in 1929. A slower version had been recorded in October 1928, but the real transformation came on May 16, 1930, when bandleader Isham Jones recorded it as a sentimental ballad. “Stardust” represents the rare case of a song in AABA form lacking a refrain. The title appears seemingly incidentally, not as a memorable hook. In the final A-section, the usual place of the refrain is filled by the words “…the memory of love’s refrain”.

American Song Book: Featuring a variety of tempos and styles, this chart includes five American favorites: America the Beautiful; Yankee Doodle Dandy; Battle Cry of Freedom; Shenandoah and The Stars and Stripes Forever.

For the First Responders: This heartfelt musical salute honors first responders who provide aid and comfort in the wake of any adverse situation with a directly stated vital message.

Lean on Me: written and recorded by American singer-songwriter Bill Withers. It was released in April 1972 as the first single from his second album, Still Bill. It was a number one single on both the soul singles and the Billboard Hot 100: the latter chart for three weeks in July 1972. Billboard ranked it as the No. 7 song of 1972. It is ranked number 208 on Rolling Stone's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Numerous other versions have been recorded, and it is one of only nine songs to have reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with versions recorded by two different artists. Bill Withers’ childhood in the coal mining town of Slab Fork, West Virginia, was the inspiration for "Lean on Me", which he wrote after he had moved to Los Angeles and found himself missing the strong community ethic of his hometown. He had lived in a decrepit house in the poor section of his town. Withers’ version is noted for its bridge section: ("Just call on me, brother"), as well as the coda section, where the words ”call me” are repeated a total of 14 times.

Let There be Peace on Earth: one summer evening in 1955, a group of 180 teenagers of all races and religions, meeting at a workshop in the California mountains, locked arms, formed a circle and sang a song of peace. They felt that singing the song, with its simple basic sentiment “let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me,” helped to create a climate for world peace and understanding. When they came down from the mountain, these inspired young people brought the song with them and started sharing it. And as though on wings let there be peace on earth begin amazing journey around the globe. It traveled first, of course with the young campers back to their homes and schools, churches, and clubs. Then the circle started by the teenagers began to grow. Soon the song was being shared in all 50 states- at school graduations and at PTA meetings, at Christmas and Easter gatherings and as part of the celebration of Brotherhood week. There was a theme for veteran's day, Human Rights ay and U.N. Day. 4H clubs and the United Auto Workers began singing it. So did the American Legion, the B’nai B’rith, the Kiwanis Clubs and CORE. it was taped comma recorded, printed in song books, and passed by word of mouth. Professional singers began to take it up in the song one awards. Let there be peace on earth was awarded the George Washington Honor Medal by the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge for “outstanding achievement in helping to bring about a better understanding of the American Way of Life”. It also received a Brotherhood Award from the national conference of Christians and Jews. This simple thought, let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me, first born on a mountaintop in the voices of youth, continues to travel heart to heart -gathering in people everywhere who wish to become a note and song of understanding and peace- peace for all mankind.

Mansions of the Lord: Originally on the soundtrack from the motion picture We Were Soldiers, and performed at Ronald Reagan's funeral, this moving tribute to the members of the armed forces is as relevant as ever. "To fallen soldiers, let us sing, where no rockets fly or bullets wing, our broken brothers let us bring to the Mansions of the Lord."

Armed Forces- The Pride of America!: is medley of tunes that includes The U.S. Army’s The Caisson Song (1908), the U.S. Coast Guard’s Semper Paratus (Always Ready, original version, 1922), The U.S. Marine Corps’ The Marine’s Hymn (original date unknown but it was in widespread use by the mid-1800s), The U.S. Air Force’s The U.S. Air Force (1951) and The U.S. Navy’s Anchors Aweigh (1907). It even includes parts of Sousa marches as interludes! The piece concludes with The Pledge of Allegiance and The Star-Spangled Banner.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Rt. Rev. Abbot and Chancellor Gary Hoover, OSB ‘74
Mr. Ryan Ryzner ’95, President/Principal
Mr. Dale Jakab ’68, Director of Student Services/ Academic Dean
Mr. Jarritt Goode ’95, Dean of Men
Mr. Richard Salem ’90, Network Administrator
Mr. Brian Devers ’08, Director of Media and Communications
Fr. Michael Brunovsky, OSB
Dr. Lisa Pierce Litteral
Beaumont Music Department
Mr. Rob Ryan
Mr. Michael Heid
The Faulisi Family
The Linares Family
The Jordan Family
The Rainey Family
The Sfiligoj Family
The Faculty and Staff of Benedictine High School
Office of Advancement
Office of Admissions
Counseling Department
Mr. Joe Alflen and the Maintenance Department
​

​