Celebrate CVHS Student Musicians with the 2nd Annual BANDEMONIUM

Centreville High School Wildcat Band’s 2nd Annual Bandemonium, an outdoor music festival under the stars, will take place on Friday, May 19th at 6:30PM in the school’s bus loop located at 6001 Union Mill Road in Clifton. Performances by local Centreville pyramid music students will open the show. Next, the Centreville High School JazzCats, Percussion Ensemble, Concert Band, Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble will perform new pieces to close out the evening. As with last year’s event, the performers will entertain on two stages. In case of rain, the concert will be moved indoors into the Skip Maiden Auditorium.

Director Melissa Hall said, “Last year’s inaugural Bandemonium event was a tremendous success with over 500 audience members in attendance. It was such a joy to create a new tradition for Centreville High School and our surrounding community that was so well received. The students and I are excited to bring it back, bigger and better this year!”

From young to old, there will be something for everyone to enjoy. Audience members will have the option to get their faces painted, get henna tattoos and even dance to some swingin’ jazz tunes. 500 folding chairs will be available for the audience, but guests are also encouraged to bring picnic blankets and camping chairs and enjoy a picnic while listening to talented student musicians. Food trucks Little Lady Grill, Two Smooth Dudes, Kona Ice, and Adam's Delights Ice Cream will be on-site for guests to purchase food to enjoy. Each food truck has generously agreed to donate a portion of the night’s proceeds to the CVHS Wildcat Band Boosters.

The JazzCats, Centreville’s own Jazz Ensemble, will be performing music on the theme, All the Feels. Music from many jazz genres, including swing, funk, rock and Latin, will be featured. Two vocal selections, “You Make Me Feel So Young” and “Don’t Know Why” will feature student vocalists from the Centreville Choral Department.

The Concert Band will feature a work by composer Jeremy Bell called “Escape from Dead Raider’s Hollow.” Audience members are invited to join the musicians in this suspenseful tale of an imaginary adventure brimming with danger and intrigue.
Bringing the magical sounds of steampunk to the night will be the Symphonic Band with imaginative works for the concert band including “Extraordinary Machines of Clockwork” and “Steam” by composer Scott Watson. Audience members will musically visit the fascinating world of Jules Verne, H.G. Wells and others whose imaginative and limitless view of the future included all sorts of fanciful contraptions.

The Wind Ensemble is excited to perform a medley from the classic movie, The Wizard of Oz, arranged by James Barnes. The composer uses brilliant transitions, rich counterpoint, development, and the full range of the concert band to create a truly fabulous piece of entertainment, featuring “Over the Rainbow,” “Ding! Dong! The Witch is Dead,” We’re Off to See the Wizard,” “The Merry Old Land of Oz,” and “If I Only Had a Brain!” Finally, the band will end the night with its traditional, end-of-year performance of “The Stars and Stripes Forever” by John Philip Sousa.

“This is a free, family-friendly event that we hope will bring in many guests from the Centreville community,” said Hall. “Come celebrate another tremendous year of music making, along with the Centreville High School Wildcat Band family. We hope to see everyone there!”

Attendance for the Friday, May 19, 2023, 6:30 pm festival in the CVHS bus loop is FREE. Donations to the CVHS Wildcat Band Program are welcome and encouraged.