BY STACI WILSON

Phenomenal.

The word was used by Montrose Elementary Director of Bands Robert Bottger to describe the instrumentalists under his direction at the County Band Festival.

The one-day event, held Thursday at Elk Lake High School, featured both junior and senior high performers from eight area school districts: Blue Ridge, Elk Lake, Forest City, Lackawanna Trail, Montrose, Mountain View, Susquehanna and

Tunkhannock.

Bottger directed the junior high students; while senior high band members were under the direction of Mountain View Director of Bands Kevin Haugland.

“They really don’t sound like a junior high band, do they?” Bottger said after the opening number “When Full Moon’s Light” by Barry E. Kopetz.

The band followed with “Trumpets with Attitude;” and “Korean Folk Rhapsody” based on the concert-familiar “Korean Folk Song.”

David Shaffer’s swinging “Jazzoo” was described by Bottger as “straight up fun.”

The Junior High County Band picked the song they performed last – the sweeping “Eagle Ridge” by Mark Williams.

The Senior High County Band opened their portion of the concert with David R. Holsinger’s “Gypsy Dance,” followed by “Prospect (Hymn for Band,” setting by Pierce le Plante.

Haugland said “Prospect” offered the students, as well as the listeners, southern harmonies in the tradition of “Amazing Grace” and other folk songs that are “so important to American history.”

Haugland told the audience he liked to research the composers and the songs he gives the students. But, he said, information about the relatively new composer Benjamin Tucker’s “Whiteleaf Hill” was limited.
The director emailed Tucker about the piece that invokes a “pirate-esque” feeling.

Haugland told the audience he was told by the Tucker that he forms the music first, then figures out a title for it later. He also advised the director to “use your imagination” to interpret the song.

The senior high band then performed “Contre Qui, Rose” by Morten Lauridsen, transcribed by H. Robert Reynolds. The song is based on the poem by Rainer Rilke.

The evening’s performance was capped off by Brian Balmages’ spirited “Call of the Wild.”

Senior Band
Blue Ridge: Kim Klim, Kyle Rivenburg, Jordan Mann, Steven Forsyth, Zach Conrad, Nick Swaha, Skylar Secord, Nolan Hausser, Alan Weed.

Elk Lake: Leah Ofalt, Elizabeth Wright, Kayless Eckert, Regan Saltzer, Rachel Sprout, Rebecca Phillips, Kenny Brittingham, Eliza Bosscher, Brett Carney, Hayley Skinner, grasyn Bushnell, LaAnna Farnelli, Isaac Dibble, Caleigh Tyler.

Forest City: Alex O’Neill, Neil Albirght, Alan Brucher, Don Nguyen, Maria Montaurdes, Sonny Albright.
Lackawanna Trail: Amanda Stutzman, Darien Petty, Kelsey Hopkins, Philip Mattes, Danielle Petrilak, Ryan Schur, Joe Merolla.

Montrose: Margaret Fitzsimmons, Megan McVaugh, Genna Smith, Krista Quinn, Phillip Davidson, Matt Zaleski, Ian Norton, Chris Ricci, Tucson Cutsgeorge, Frank Lubash.

Mountain View: Briana Frankovsky, Alic Pollock, Stephanie Ostir, Sabrina Fallon, Denise Vonada, Adam Lynn, Sarah Carpenetti, Sophia Ficarro.

Susquehanna: Kayla Swartz, Elizabeth Delaney, Benny Kane, Jessie Staros, Kayla Marino, Annabelle DiNoto, Dylan Roe, David Armitage, Shirlynne Wademan, Hannah Day, Matthew Kane.

Tunkhannock: Catherine Huhn, Madison Mokshie, Emma Pizzolani, Kayla Sholes, Jordan King, Kaitlyn Morkovitz, Allison Wetherbee, Alex Clark, Evan Smith, Joe Flaherty, Logan Gravelle, Andrew Mills, John Shebby, Kassandra Tilley, Megan Quick, Brock Darling, Justin Cooper, Sean Andres.

Junior Band
Blue Ridge: Karly Gudykunst, Sarah Marble, Sierah Guzy, Emily Haley, Gwen MacConnell, Sequoia Marriot, Charlie Randall, Travis Hickling, Dani Goff, Heidi Lynch, Cole Auckland, Julian Kupst, Sean Argust, Devon Colwell, Parker Dissinger, Miseael Arzola-velez, Devon Bailey.

Elk Lake: Alison Bell, Reilly Shingler, Brooke Arnold, Tiffany Toth, Megan Tewksbury, Hannah Decker, Dana Nunemacher, Sadie Bosscher, Megan Bosscher, Madison Tewsbury, Samantha Dibble, Shyanne Bennett.

Forest City: Katie Nebzydoski, Pavol Almasi, Collin Ennis, Matt Giles, Katie Nguyen, Blaise Albright, Lucas O’Neill, Madeline Bailer, Matt Trotter, Riley O’Neill.

Lackawanna Trail: Ana Rivenburg, Lizzy Rothwell, Jeffrey Resto-Medina, Kiana Grella, Sarah Kinback, Amanda Haft, Emily Herron, Noah Coleman, Jared Klepadlo, Josh Rosengrant.

Montrose: Katie Rowe, Grace Wood, Danielle Dubofski, Claire Wood, Caleb Hinds, Elizabeth Bennici, Allison Bickford, Cierra Demarest, Briana Welch, Quinlan Pietryk, Caleb Reyes, Hannah Perkins, Georgia Smith, Thomas Nelson, Maverick Beaman.

Mountain View: Vlyja Reploeg, Tosha Shay, Kailey Bridgeman, Dakota Alvord, Chris Demanicor, Jake Housel, Ben Galvin, Aaron Weida.

Susquehanna: Rachel Day, Rhiannon Potter, Kevin Silfee.

Tunkhannock: Alex Falzone, Makayla Fritsch, Jessica Kaneski, Mary Zeunen, Bridget Frame, Eric Kelly, Elaine Lance, Ben Levin, Ashley Rusinko, Sarah Steward, Cheyanna Talbert, Paul DeMarco, Kenneth Filer, Michael Green, Madilyn Kohl, Cassidy Ash, Cage Gregory, Noah Grover, Nacomie Strohl, Hannalee Nichols, Devan Clark, John VanHouten.