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GHS WIND ENSEMBLE NAMED BEST IN CLASS AT EISMANN COMPETITION

May 2, 2019

GHS Band Wind Ensemble

The Granbury High School Pirate Band wind ensemble was named Best in Class at the Peak Music Festival on May 1, 2019, at the Charles W. Eisemann Center in Richardson.  

Outstanding soloists at the competition were:  Megan Bednarz, oboe; Ian Cone, French horn; Nate Franzmathes, bassoon; Mikayla Hamilton, clarinet; Hannah Myers, English horn; Maddie Purvis, keyboards.  All instrument sections received top honors from the judging panel, according to GHS band director Mark Eastin. 

For the festival, the wind ensemble performed The Free Lance March (Sousa), Symphonic Dances, Op. 45, Mvt. III (Rachmaninoff/Lavender), and Four Scottish Dances (Arnold/Paynter). 

At the recent UIL concert and sightreading competition, all three GHS Band ensembles received sweepstakes honors by earning Division I superior ratings in both portions of the contest. 

Programs for the non-varsity ensembles were: 

  • Symphonic Band:  El Capitan (Sousa), Shepherd's Hey (Grainger/Rogers), Prelude, Siciliano and Rondo (Arnold/Paynter)
  • Concert Band: In A French Garden (Richard Meyer), Normandy Beach (John Edmonson), Legend of Knife River (Stephan Bulla)

The GHS wind ensemble next competes at a second Peak Music Festival on May 21 at the Murchison Performing Arts Center on the campus of the University of North Texas in Denton.

The high school bands are under the direction of Eastin, Shane O’Brien, and Tahlequah Kirk.