Youth Music of the World

[ Orchestral music playing ] ♪♪ [ Music intensifies ] ♪♪ Hello, and welcome to another edition of "Youth Music of the World."

In this series, we're saluting young American musicians and showcasing their performances at some of Europe's most iconic venues.

Our students are in London for this edition of the program.

First, let's join Southmoore High School in St. John's Smith Square in Westminster.

Adam Mewhorter is their director of bands.

We had the opportunity to play the "March of the Belgian Paratroopers" by Pierre Leemans, and it is a wonderful piece of music written for, obviously, the troops in war.

And what's great about it, it's an American March style that we can bring to our audience a little bit of our culture while we're in England.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music ends ] [ Applause ] Aside of all of our performances, playing at the concert, what stuck to me most was, me and my friends, we went to Abbey Road where -- where the Beatles took their -- their famous photo, their album cover, and we actually re-created it.

That was awesome, obviously.

We took the pictures, we got the pictures that we wanted, and it -- it was just -- it was epic because, like, the Beatles were here.

So, you know, that feeling of being there in that place of history with my friends was just -- was awesome.

That was definitely the best part of the trip.

And that's what's definitely stuck with me the most.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Cymbal sounds ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Drum solo ] [ Music quickens ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Bells chime ] [ Horn solo ] ♪♪ [ Music intensifies ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music slows ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Cymbal sounds ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Cymbals crash ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ Na, na, na, na-na-na-na ♪ [ Drum solo ] ♪ Na-na-na-na ♪ ♪ Hey you ♪ ♪ Na, na, na, na-na-na-na ♪ ♪ Na-na-na-na ♪ ♪ Hey you ♪ ♪ Na, na, na, na-na-na-na ♪ ♪ Na-na-na-na ♪ ♪ Hey you ♪ [ Cymbals crash ] [ Solo ends ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Cymbals crash ] ♪♪ [ Music slows ] ♪♪ [ Music ends ] [ Cheers and applause ] Southmoore High School LNYDP wins.

My favorite was definitely the Beatles piece because, I mean, you're right there.

Like, it's so different than playing something here in the States.

It's music that's, like, from where we were playing, and we got to like, bring it to life in London.

Our trip to London was absolutely fabulous, brilliant, as you say in England.

Our kids had a great time musically, but what was more incredible was watching them interact with the locals in London, getting to meet people from other nationalities.

As you know, London is a hugely diverse population, and it's so good for our students to get out in the world and see the world, not only the places, but the people.

Next, it's the Hinsdale Central High School Red Devil Concert Band performing at St. John's Church in Waterloo in London.

This is "Fairest of the Fair" by JP Sousa.

♪♪ ♪♪ [ Bell dings ] ♪♪ [ Bell dings ] ♪♪ [ Bell dings ] ♪♪ [ Bell dings ] ♪♪ [ Bell dings ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Bell dings ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Bell dings ] ♪♪ [ Bell dings ] ♪♪ [ Bell dings ] ♪♪ [ Bell dings ] ♪♪ [ Cymbals crash ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Cymbals crash ] [ Music slows ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Bell dings ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music ends ] [ Applause ] We have one big concert at the end of our school year, which combines all four of our concert bands.

And I would say our performance in London was most similar to that final concert.

The reason why is because the repertoire that we pick for all -- for our bands when they're combined like this, it needs to meet the ability of our less-experienced students while also providing enough musical excitement and enjoyment for our more advanced students, for them to want to play well.

So it was -- it was a fun challenge to pick pieces that would meet all of those needs.

♪♪ ♪♪ [ Cymbals crash ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Rhythmic clapping ] ♪♪ [ Clapping stops ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Bells ringing ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Glockenspiel plays ] [ Glockenspiel stops ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music ends ] [ Cheers and applause ] We played at St. John's Waterloo, and it was a beautiful building.

It was a really nice backdrop for the band.

That church just -- it has such a warm sound, and it does ring forever, compared to what we used to.

So that was something we had to account for when we played.

Back to St. John's Smith Square now for the Southmoore High School LNYDP Jazz Ensemble, and I'm sure you'll recognize this.

[ Cheers and applause ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Cheers and applause ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Cheers and applause ] [ Piano solo ] ♪♪ [ Solo ends ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music ends ] [ Cheers and applause ] Here's Louis Prima's "Sing, Sing, Sing."

The Southmoore High School LNYDP Jazz Ensemble.

[ Drumming ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Horns enter ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Drum solo ] ♪♪ [ Solo ends ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Drum solo ] ♪♪ [ Solo ends ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Drum solo ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Solo ends ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Drum solo ] ♪♪ [ Cheers and applause ] [ Solo continues ] ♪♪ [ Solo ends ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music ends ] [ Cheers and applause ] Join us next time for another edition of "Youth Music of the World," when more American students will display their talents in some of Europe's iconic venues.

Thank you for joining us.

The impression of London was it's so much different from where we're living here.

And I think it was -- I think it was epic.

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