Eastern High School hosted a special concert Thursday. The Howard County Music Festival showcased 400 band and choir students from Eastern, Northwestern, Taylor and Western in a one-time-only set of songs.
Those in attendance noticed no clarinets squeak. Neither an instrument was dropped nor a stand overturned. It was a concert as professional as any college group with years of experience would perform.
It was, indeed, an event for which any music lover would gladly pay. Yet, it was just $3.
The Howard County Music Festival is believed to be the longest-running annual performance of its kind in the United States. Thursday’s concert was the 53rd annual.
The band and choir students took their turn in the succession of something unique.
“I like how it’s such a long, continuing tradition. I think it’s cool we all still get together, even though we compete in marching band,” Eastern senior Dylan Mullen told us this week. “It’s a really cool experience to be part of that.”
Thursday’s concert was a testament to the students’ hard work, the quality of instruction they receive from their teachers and the commitment of Howard County’s schools to make music a part of local curricula.
Congratulations to the participants, their families, and their band and choir instructors. Thursday’s event likely inspired all of this year’s participants to continue studying music.
That, in itself, is worth the $3 contribution at Thursday’s performance.
