The 2023 Apollo Conference Honor Band Festival was held on March 7 at Mt. Zion High School. Twenty-two members of the Taylorville High School Band and Jazz Band performed with the top musicians from the other conference schools: Mt. Zion, Charleston, Mattoon, Mahomet-Seymour, Effingham and Lincoln.
The THS musicians who performed in the Apollo Conference Honor Concert Band are: Erica Edwards, Natalie Cook, Mylie Corso, Lillie Jones, Laney Norbeck, Emma Burge, Paige Cunnington, Brandon Hefner, Sierra Sakautzky, Gavin Enlow, Madilyn Elam, Riley Elam and Evan Allen.
THS musicians who performed with the Apollo Conference Honors Jazz Band are: Justin Champley, Adrian Gonzalez-Mateos, Kai Albright, Carson Hefner, Rhyker Wicks, Marley Dively, Lydia Hopkins, Tripp Pelichoff and Jay Bliler.
The Apollo Concert Band was conducted by Brad Wallace, band director for the ParkWay School District in St. Louis. Mr. Wallace is a former band director at Effingham High School and was instrumental in starting the Apollo Conference Honor Band Festival several years ago. The Apollo Concert Band performed Epic Venture by Tyler S. Grant, West Highland Sojourn by Robert Sheldon, Rippling Watercolors by Brian Balmages, March of the Belgian Paratroopers by Pierre Leemans and arranged by James Swearingen and Critical Mass by Todd Stalter.
The Apollo Honors Jazz Band was directed by Paul Johnston, professor of jazz at Eastern Illinois University. They performed Moanin’ by Bobby Timmons and arranged by Quincy Jones, Ace of Hearts by Patty Darling, All of Me by Seymour Simmons and Gerald Marks/arranged by Billy Beyers, 1368 Luther Lane by Paul Johnston and Rockabye River by Duke Ellington.
Both ensembles rehearsed throughout the day and presented an outstanding concert that evening at 6:30 PM.
THS Apollo Conference Musicians are pictured front row, l to r, Jay Bliler, Riley Elam, Evan Allen, Tripp Pelichoff and Kai Albright. On the stairs, Laney Norbeck, Emma Burge, Natalie Cook, Erica Edwards, Kylie Corso, Marley Dively, Rhyker Wicks, Adrian Gonzalez-Mateos, Sierra Sakautzky, Madilyn Elam, Lydia Hopkins, Lillie Jones, Justin Champley, Brandon Hefner, Paige Cunnington, Gavnin Enlow and Carson Hefner.