The community is invited to experience a powerful evening of music as the Bayfield High School Orchestra and Band join forces tonight for a special Symphony Orchestra Concert at 7 p.m. in the BHS auditorium.
Directed by Derek Smith and Eric Stramel, the concert will showcase the talents of 50 outstanding student instrumentalists who have been hard at work throughout the winter season.
“This is actually our Orchestra Concert,” Smith explained, “but Mr. Stramel wanted to bring in the winds and percussion.”
The evening will begin with three featured selections performed by the Orchestra. The Band will then reprise With Every Winter’s Breath, a piece originally presented at the Winter Concert in December. The work holds deep meaning for the Bayfield community. Written in memory of a beloved band student lost in 2010, the piece was commissioned from acclaimed composer Randall Standridge, widely regarded as one of the leading composers in band music at the time.
Over the years, With Every Winter’s Breath has grown in popularity, performed by bands across the nation and around the world. Yet it remains connected specifically to Bayfield.
“It is always special when we play this uniquely Bayfield piece,” Smith said. “We hear from conductors who program it all the time, and it’s meaningful to know how far its impact has reached.”
The concert will conclude with Leviathan, an epic finale that combines the full Orchestra and Band for a powerful symphonic collaboration — a performance Smith describes as “worthy of any summer blockbuster soundtrack.” The piece marks a milestone moment, as all 50 musicians unite for Bayfield’s first-ever Symphony Orchestra performance.
The Symphony Orchestra Concert begins at 7 p.m. tonight at Bayfield High School. Admission details are available at the door. Community members of all ages are encouraged to attend and support these talented young performers.
