Prelude to Italy: WHS Band Send-off Community Concert will Celebrate Upcoming Italy Tour
By Lizzie Miles
The Westfield High School band program will be hosting a send-off concert on March 28 from 7:30-8:30 p.m. for their upcoming Italy trip. The event, which is free and open to the public, will be held in the WHS auditorium and will feature the program that the 86-member ensemble will be performing abroad this spring.
Featuring pieces ranging from the Italian classic Funiculi, Funicula by Luigi Denza, to American staples like West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein and High School Cadets by John Philip Sousa, the night will display the dedication and passion of the students and directors Christopher Vitale and Gabriel Batiz, who have been rehearsing the program over the past months. The group is composed of 10-12th graders involved in marching band or concert band classes, and as such fosters a unique collaboration of musical talent across ensembles and ability levels.
“This is the only time we’re performing this program outside of Italy, and we’re working really hard to create it,” said Liliana Lincoln, a sophomore clarinet player.
Junior flutist Heidi Klingelhofer also encourages younger band students to attend the event, emphasizing that “By performing and showing that we’re going to another country to spread our music, it influences the younger generation who are still in middle school or elementary school to join the program and see how much it has to offer.”
The tour, which will take place April 1-9 of this year and visit the cities of Rome, Latina, Spoleto, Assisi, Florence, Lucca, and Siena, presents an incredible opportunity for those enrolled in the band program. The ensemble will perform at the Conservatorio Ottorino Respighi in Latina, the Teatro Nuovo in Rome, and the Chiesa di San Francesco in Lucca. While in Latina, they will get to participate in a clinic with conservatory professors, and the Lucca performance will also feature the town youth band, providing a chance to collaborate with local musicians.
“It’s fun because we’re representing our school, our town, and really our country, and that pressure motivates the band to want to perform really well,” said Evan Bauer, a junior clarinetist.
“The best part is getting to play with new people. The vibe is very positive when we’re all rehearsing together because everyone is excited for the trip, and that’s reflected in our playing because we’re all willing to work really hard,” Klingelhofer agreed.
By traveling abroad as a band, participants have the unique opportunity to expand both their musical and cultural perspectives, as they will perform in incredible venues while simultaneously enjoying the exceptional art, history, language, and cuisine of Italy. It will be the first trip the band has taken abroad since prior to the pandemic, when they traveled to Italy in 2018, and the students are looking forward to the experience.
“It's important for bands to go on trips like this because it's truly a once in a lifetime experience to see a beautiful country with your good friends, play music in super cool venues, and overall just learn about the different cultures in the world and become a better global citizen,” said junior percussionist Milo Aitkin.
“It’s cool to share this not only with our family and friends, but with all of Westfield. We talk a lot about giving back to the community, so it’s great when they become involved with us and it’s really a nice relationship,” said Lincoln.
With the band departing for the highly anticipated trip in a few weeks, they invite the community to attend the upcoming send-off concert to hear the hard work of the ensemble in the only US performance of the program. The event will be held in the Westfield High School Auditorium on Thursday, March 28 at 7:30 p.m., and admission is free.
