Louisburg High School band director Brian Miller (seated, left) plays the organ as Michael Stephenson conducts the Vance-Granville Community Band in an arrangement of “Lead On, O King Eternal” during the concert at LHS on Oct. 17. (VGCC photo)
The Vance-Granville Community Band presented its fall concert on Oct. 17 in the Louisburg High School auditorium. It was the second consecutive year that the ensemble, a joint effort between interested citizens and students, has performed its first concert of the academic year in Louisburg. In 2010, the site for the fall concert was Louisburg College.
Directed by VGCC music instructor Michael Stephenson, the Community Band performed a variety of selections, including “The Foundation March” by Goldman; a medley of the Beatles hits “Michelle,” “Eleanor Rigby” and “Yesterday” by Lennon and McCartney; “Second Suite in F for Military Band” by Holst; “Beguine for Band” by Osser; “March of the Neptunes” by Jager; and “Meadowlands” by Flanders. One piece, an arrangement of the hymn, “Lead On, O King Eternal,” featured Louisburg High School band director Brian Miller accompanying the band on the organ. Stephenson pointed out that LHS was fortunate to be one of the few high schools in the state with its own organ.
In the middle of the program, the Community Band took a break while Stephenson brought forward the “Vanguard Combo,” a group that included three of the VGCC students who have received the college’s Music Performance Scholarships this year: Chris Bost on guitar, Joseph Hedgepeth on saxophone and Sean Casady on bass; VGCC student Norris Foster on drums; Vance County Early College High School student Eriekca Crosby on vocals; and Stephenson on the keyboard. The combo interpreted three pop classics, “Unchained Melody,” “Killing Me Softly” and the Jackson Five hit “I’ll Be There.”
Formed in 2008, the Vance-Granville Community Band has grown to approximately 50 members, including people from all four counties of the VGCC service area (Vance, Granville, Warren and Franklin). For more information, call Michael Stephenson at (252) 738-3346.