 | Music teacher and Band Director Don Jenkins was surprised on Sunday, April 27, with a concert, a "roast,"and a reception in his honor in the Troy High School Auditorium. Mr. Jenkins, who has taught music in both the Newton and the Troy School systems, is retiring this spring after a very successful 35 year career as a choir and band director with many award-winning music groups to his credit. Earlier this year he was named the Outstanding Music Educator of 2003 by the Ohio Music Educators Association.
The Retirement Celebration was the idea of Ms. Carolyn Christman (Newton HS Class of '80) and Ms. Katherine Kingham McIntosh, Troy High School's Class of 1983, who have spent the last two years organizing the surprise event, contacting colleagues and former students of Don Jenkins to play in the Celebration Concert Band, and collecting commission money for a musical composition (which will be published soon bearing a dedication to Mr. Jenkins on the title page!). The highlight of Sunday's celebration was the premiere performance of this piece, James Swearingen's "Beautiful Savior," commissioned by friends and former students of Mr. Jenkins.
Members of the Celebration Concert Band came from all over the country including Washington State, Delaware, New York, and Arkansas as well as many different cities in Ohio, and although they had not played together before, they needed only one rehearsal on Saturday evening to prepare some very special music for a very special man.
From the advertising listing write-up for "Beautiful Savior":
"BEAUTIFUL SAVIOR (A Chorale Prelude)-James Swearingen. This impressive chorale prelude offers a wonderful change of pace for that next concert program. Expressive, yet reverent, the introduction of this work leads into a lovely flute solo followed by a bold and glorious rendition of one of the most celebrated hymns of all time. Each part has been carefully scored to add musical importance to the overall success of this work. Musicians will derive much satisfaction from performing this composition and the ending is sure to leave your audience breathless." | |