Hibriten High School Band
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[edit] History
The Hibriten High School Symphonic Band, established in 1966,[1] is the school band of Hibriten High School in the All-American City of Lenoir, North Carolina. As of Spring 2011, the band has accumulated thirty-seven superior ratings (18 consecutive as of 2011), with most of them in Grade VI music (the most difficult level).[1][2] Hibriten's band follows a strong heritage of instrumental and vocal music in Lenoir. For example, George Younce, the bass singer from the Cathedral Quartet was from Patterson and Lenoir in Caldwell County, North Carolina, and the famed Lenoir High School Band started in 1924. The LHS Band was the first high school band established in the state of North Carolina. The Lenoir High Band was formed by the venerable Dr. James C. Harper and his legacy lives on at the James C. Harper School of Performing Arts also in Lenoir, NC.[3] The Lenoir High Band had amassed forty-three "consecutive" superior ratings before the school was closed in 1977, when five county high schools were merged into three (Hibriten in Lenoir, West Caldwell in Gamewell, and South Caldwell in the Sawmills/Hudson area).
After 1977, many former LHS Band directors taught at Hibriten, and many of the Lenoir students blended with the already talented and storied Hibriten Band. Of note, the Hibriten Fight Song's musical score was written by Captain Ralph Ostrom, first chair trumpet in the 1927 John Philip Sousa Band. (Capt. Ralph K. Ostrom, Ret. served as band director at Marion High, NC, studied with the United States Army Band and was director of the Tenth Division Band Training School). The Hibriten Band has played before the North Carolina Bandmasters Association on three occasions. The band has also traveled to Toronto, New York, Atlanta (playing three performances at the Coca Cola Olympic Village), etc., and in New York City the band won the "Ensemble of Excellence" award. [1] The Hibriten Band was also the Band of Honor at Charlotte NC's Shrine Bowl game in 1995.
Of note are the band directors who taught at Hibriten and who are now in the North Carolina Bandmaster's Hall of Fame. including George Kirsten (George Kirsten's sister Dorothy Kirsten sang operatic mezzo-soprano in the NY Metropolitan Opera), and Camilla Graeber. Other HHS Band directors have been honored by the Northwest District of the NC Bandmasters Association including Dennis Carswell, John Craig,[4] and Bill Witcher.[1][4]
[edit] Notable alumni in the music world
- James Boldin - Horn Player
- William Withem - Composer
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d "Bio and picture for Bill Witcher". UnifourBrass.org. http://www.unifourbrass.org/pages/bill_witcher.html. Retrieved 2009-08-31.
- ^ "Charlotte Observer - Playing the Games (July 14, 1996)". NewsBank.com. http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=CO&s_site=charlotte&p_multi=CO&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB6D36EC3B112F8&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM. Retrieved 2009-08-31.
- ^ Lacour, Greg (2005-07-24). "Article - Lenoir band building may get new life as music school.". AccessMyLibrary.com. http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-134417982/lenoir-band-building-may.html. Retrieved 2009-08-31.
- ^ a b "The James C. Harper School of Performing Arts, Lenoir, NC". TheHarperSchool.org. http://www.theharperschool.org/MeetTheInstructors.htm. Retrieved 2009-08-31.
