The year of 2024-2025 for the Chrisitan Brothers Band was yet another success. Having made strides not only in regards to their accolades and achievements, but also in preparing the band to continue their strong legacy in the future. With an astounding 40+ freshman joining the band, they were able to get a head start on teaching them the ropes and preparing them to live up to the legacy of the oldest high school band in America.  

​

Being on their second year with the newly added Block schedule as of the previous year, the band was operating at a much smoother pace and was able to use previous knowledge on what not to do with block schedules in order to optimize their practice time as best as they could. This optimization allowed the Honors and Gold Band to take on more challenging pieces and allow for better instructing and teaching for the new and less knowledgeable members of the Developmental and Purple Band. 

​

As always, the Band’s first gigs of the year were those of the pep band. Some new additions to the song selections included, “Exes and Ohs”, “Mission Impossible”, and the FOX sports themes. Although these new songs added bring an alternate vibe to the band, they kept the fan favorites around, such as “Blues for Brother Joel”, “Word Up”, and “Sweet Caroline” to name a few. 

​

The Fall semester demonstrated the Bands immense musical Prowess. As per usual the band performed a song for the Christmas season, this concert’s being Christmas Music for Winds, arranged by John Cacavas. This Christmas special consisted of many popular festive tunes that we all know and love, such as “Silent Night”, “Ode to Joy”, “Away in the manger”, and “Twelve Days of Christmas”. Following standard procedure of the fall concert the Band also featured its Band President and Vice President as soloist on their own respective pieces. The Band’s President, William Dunlap was featured on The Golden Age of the Xylophone, arranged by Floyed E. Werle. The Golden Age of The Xylophone is well known around the world and conveys the traditional sound of the Xylophone throughout the 1900s in America. A truly challenging piece suited perfectly for a truly talented Musician. Last but certainly not least of the soloist featured during the fall concert was the Band’s Vice President, Asa Pankewycz, featured on the Concertino, by Cecile Chaminade. The Concertino is a romantic piece, featuring to main themes, along with many melodic episodes, and is renowned as one of the great standards of the instrument’s literature due to its difficulty level not only in expressivity and tone, but also precision and technique. Although attempted many times by past flute players, Asa was the first musician to successfully perform the Concertino in the Band’s 152 years of operation. In addition to the soloist features, the band also performed The Flight of the Bumble Bee, a piece that not only tested the band’s speed and technique, but their patience as well. Other songs performed during the concert were Bombastix, by Chris Crockarell, consisting only of percussionists, The Lord of the Rings, by Howard Shore, consisting of many popular tunes from the trilogy, Fanfare of Joy, by Michael Story, Noel, by Hawley Ades, and lastly, Mayfeilf March, by Ralph and Jack Hale.  

Later, the Band participated in the West Tennessee Band and Orchestra Association Concert Festival. In the competition they performed two pieces, those being Die Fledermaus Overture, by Johann Straus, and March to Nowhere, by Vaclac Nelhybel. Die Fledermaus being a grad six level piece, the highest there is, challenged the band in every regard. Whereas in contrast, March to Nowhere was merely a grade two, and had potential to cause some controversies due to it not being a true march. However, the March was not called out and the Band was able to secure the highest rating possible in all categories, achieving Ones across the board. This led the Band to be recognized as a sweepstakes band and was awarded as such.  

​

On March 30th, both the Walnut Groove Jazz band and the Wind Ensemble performed at the Taste of CBHS fundraiser. Adding a pleasant ambience to the background of the festivities and mingling of the event, the band also demonstrated its talent and showed those attending the event what they were supporting and contributing to. Both groups also other gigs throughout the year, some being at held at local schools such as St. Mary’s, others being held at local event centers like the Crosstown Concourse. 

​

Ending off their 152nd season, the Oldest Highschool Band in America had their final performance of the year, their spring concert. Intitled, Music of the Macabre, the spring concert brought an eerie and unsettling vibe to the concert hall, performing songs that derived from art and culture that draws beauty from disturbing and grim imagery. Starting off the concert strong, the Band performed the March to Nowhere and the Die Fledermaus Overture, giving the audience a taste of their musical prowess. Following these two, the band played Pavane, By Maurice Ravel. Originally composed for piano, Pavane was written as an elegy to for his departed infant. Next, was At a Dixieland Funeral, arranged by Jared Spears, portraying a typical Jazz funeral with slow melodies at the beginning of the song to convey mourning of the dead which later transforms into an upbeat celebration of life. Furthermore, the Band performed the Funeral March of a Marionette, by Charles Gounod. Perhaps best known for being the theme song for popular television program “Alfred Hitchcock Presents”, this piece tells the story of a funeral march of a Marionette who has died in a duel, followed by a funeral procession, which is interrupted by a break for refreshments before returning to the procession. Following was The Three Ravens, by Percy Granger. An English folk balled that tells the story of three scavenger ravens conversing over where and what they should eat. One tells of a knight that had been recently slain, but upon his arrival find his body guarded by his loyal hawks and hounds. A “fallow Dow” also comes to the knight’s body, serving as a metaphor for the knight’s pregnant lover, and kisses the knights’ wounds, burying them afterward, leaving the ravens with a meal. For their penultimate song, the Band performed Music for a darkened Theatre, arranged by Michael Brown. This piece consisted of an arrangement of music scores from some of Danny Elfman’s most famous works, those being “Tales from the Crypt”, “The Nightmare Before Christmas”, “Edward Scissorhands”, “Beetlejuice”, and “Spiderman”. Lastly, the Band performed The Inferno, first Movement from The Devine Comedy, by Robert W. Smith. Depicting the story of Dante’s decent into Hell and the horrors he encounters during his journey; the piece is riddled with extreme and intense playing techniques that perfectly convey the anguish of those who have been damned to hell and the malice one would find if they dared to journey into the deep. An example of this can be seen in the percussion section through the use of chains being clattered to the floor to procure sounds of those changed and imprisoned in hell. And just like always, the concert concluded with the seniors standing to play Bless This House, followed by the rest of the band playing the school song, while family and friends in the audience applauded along with the band.  

​

Asa Pankewycz
Band Vice-President