The Wisconsin School Music Association (WSMA) State Honors Concerts showcase over 400 of Wisconsin’s most accomplished high school musicians. After spring auditions and a summer camp, students reunite in Madison each fall to perform in orchestra, band, jazz, mixed choir and treble choir ensembles. Recorded Oct. 30–31.
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2025 WSMA State Honors Concerts
– Announcer: The following program is a PBS Wisconsin original production.
[rousing orchestra music] – Narrator: Every year, over 400 of Wisconsin’s most talented high school musicians participate in a unique program.
– Dan Sommerville: They do four pretty grueling days of rehearsals in the summer.
And then, we come back for two days here in Madison, and then take it to the top level.
– Narrator: Orchestra, band, jazz, treble choir, and mixed choir.
Five ensembles, one unforgettable experience.
– Tessa Benischek: It’s a lot of work, but in the end, it all just creates something so beautiful.
– Narrator: Welcome to the 2025 Wisconsin School Music Association State Honors Concerts.
– Announcer: Funding for this program is provided by: the John W. and Lenore L. Landry Endowment, donors to the Focus Fund for the Arts, and Friends of PBS Wisconsin.
[“El Vito” arr.
by Joni Jensen] Ah!
[clapping] Con el vito vito vito Con el vito vito va Con el vito vito vito Con el vito vito va Yo no quiero que me miren Que me pongo color Yo no quiero que me miren Que me pongo color Las solteras son de oro Las casadas son de plata Las solteras son de oro Las casadas son de plata Las viuditas son de cobre Y las viejas de hojalata Las viuditas son de cobre Y las viejas de hojalata [clapping] Con el vito vito vito Con el vito vito va Con el vito vito vito Con el vito vito va No me mires a la cara Que me pongo color Yo no quiero que me mires Que me vas a enamorar Ah!
Ah!
Ah!
[gentle piano accompaniment] Una malaguea fue a Sevilla A ver los toros Una malaguea fue a Sevilla A ver los toros Y en la mitad del camino La cautivaron los moros Y en la mitad del camino La cautivaron los moros Las solteras son de oro Las casadas son de plata Las solteras son de oro Las casadas son de plata Las viuditas son de cobre Y las viejas de hojalata Las viuditas son de cobre Y las viejas de hojalata Con el vi, con el vi Con el vi, con el vi Con el vito vito vito Con el vito vito va Con el vito vito vito Con el vito vito va Yo no quiero que me miren Que me pongo color Yo no quiero que me miren Que me pongo color Ah!
Ah!
[trilling] Con el vito vito vito Con el vito vito va Con el vito vito vito Con el vito vito va Ah!
Ah!
La!
[stomp] [audience applauds and cheers] [ Four Scottish Dances by Malcolm Arnold] [rousing band music] [ Four Scottish Dances by Malcolm Arnold] [ Four Scottish Dances by Malcolm Arnold] [ Four Scottish Dances by Malcolm Arnold] [audience applauds and cheers] [“Apple Tree” by AURORA, arr.
by Katerina Gimon] [rhythmic percussion] All of my life I’ve been hunting I’ve been a girl, I’ve been a boy Digging my feet into the ground Like an apple tree Wanting to live with a purpose Skin is a word, love is not a sin People are bad, people are good Just like the moon is a stone But it’s a star when it’s dark And now she’s hiding Yea ee eh If you’ve seen what a heart is You’ve seen its color If I ever knew how we could guide it Yea ee eh I would take care of its children Become their mother If I ever knew How we could hide it Hide it, ha ha Let her save the world She is just a girl Let him save them all He is just a boy Let her save the world She is just a girl Let him save them all He is just a boy [rhythmic percussion] [rhythmic clapping] Hunger is quiet if you do it right Hunter is loud and predictable Scaring away every prey So they are gone Before the hunter arrives Would you be kind and put away your sword?
You cannot cut away what we got You cannot kill what we are We are not here In physical form You’ve seen where the knife is Its dark location If I ever knew how We could fight it, fight it I would cut into our anger Make pure emotion If I ever knew how We could hide it Hide it, ha ha Let her save the world She is just a girl Let him save them all He is just a boy Let her save the world She is just a girl Let him save them all He is just a boy [rhythmic drumming and clapping] Hah yah oh wah Hoh yeh oh ho Ah ah ah hah Can you carry the weight Of mortality?
Ah ah ah hah The explosions around you Are your symphony Let her save the world She is just a girl Let him save them all He is just a boy Let her save the world She is just a girl Let him save them all He is just a boy [audience applauds and cheers]
– Mariana Farah: I think everybody can connect through music, through text, through singing together.
In an ensemble, people learn the value of listening to each other, right?
You have to listen and you have to engage with other ideas, you have to honor other experiences and then bring them all together.
So, whether it’s in school, whether it’s in our community, whether it’s here in this performance space, the arts are really essential for humanity.
[“Cirandas Brasileiras” by Dr.
Matheus Cruz] Ciranda ciranda Ciranda ciranda Ciranda ciranda Ciranda Ciranda Mandei fazer uma casa de farinha Bem maneirinha que o vento possa levar Oi passa sol, oi passa chuva, oi passa vento S n�o passa o Ciranda Movimento do cirandeiro a rodar Achei bom bonito, meu amor brincar Ciranda maneira Vem c cirandeira, vem c balanar Mandei fazer uma casa de farinha Bem maneirinha que o vento possa levar Oi passa sol, oi passa chuva, oi passa vento S n�o passa o Movimento do cirandeiro a rodar P p ra p, p p ra p P p ra p, p p ra p P p ra p, p p ra p P p ra p, p p ra p Quando a morena Quando a morena Brinca na beira do mar Levanta a saia Pra n�o molhar Ha vem cirandeiro Ha vem com a morena dancar Ciranda vem balanar [rhythmic clapping] Quando a morena Brinca na beira do mar Levanta a saia Pra n�o molhar Quando a morena Brinca na beira do mar Brinca na beira do mar Brinca na beira do mar Ciranda vem balanar Ciranda vem balanar Ha vem com a morena dancar Quando a morena Brinca na beira do mar Brinca na beira do mar Brinca na beira do mar Ciranda vem balanar P p ra p, p p ra p P p ra p, p p ra p P p ra p, p p ra p P p ra p Ciranda pa [audience applauds and cheers] [“Nimrod” from Variations on an Original Theme by Edward Elgar] [bright orchestral music] [“Nimrod” from Variations on an Original Theme by Edward Elgar] [“Nimrod” from Variations on an Original Theme by Edward Elgar] [“Nimrod” from Variations on an Original Theme by Edward Elgar] [audience applauds] – Michael Dease: Ah one, two, three!
[“Roll ‘Em” by Mary Lou Williams] [piano solo] [audience applauds and cheers] [saxophone solo] [audience applauds and cheers] [trumpet solo] [“Roll ‘Em” by Mary Lou Williams] [audience applauds and cheers] Yeah, “Roll ‘Em” by Mary Lou Williams.
– Shanti Simon: To be able to make art at this high level is truly incredible.
And you know, regardless of the next steps that each of these students takes in their lives, they will always have this gift of music.
And music, as we know, has the power to build connections.
So my hope for all of you on stage is that you take your gift of music, and you use it in whatever you end up doing in this world to build connection with people.
So, thank you, thank you, thank you so much.
How about another round of applause for the students?
[audience applauds] [ Danzn No.
2 by Arturo Marquez] [gentle tango-style band music] [gentle oboe solo] [bright tango-style band music] [ Danzn No.
2 by Arturo Marquez] [bright piccolo solo] [ Danzn No.
2 by Arturo Marquez] [gentle woodwind music] [ Danzn No.
2 by Arturo Marquez] [gentle clarinet and flute music] [rousing band music] [rousing trumpet music] [ Danzn No.
2 by Arturo Marquez] [bright piccolo music] [bright ending note] [audience applauds and cheers] [“The Reborn Sun” by Faith Zimmer] [bright piano accompaniment] Let us bless the power Of the reborn sun With all the universe Let us celebrate its return Crowned with splendor It rises, it soars The waking of the earth Is a hymn of love Seven rushing Seven rushing steeds Seven rushing Seven rushing steeds Seven rushing steeds That God scarcely holds back Ignite the horizon With their scorching breath Ignite the horizon With their scorching breath Oh, vivid sun, you appear!
Oh, vivid sun With the fields in bloom The mountains, the thick forest The vast sea set ablaze By your fire!
The universe, younger and fresher The universe, younger and fresher With morning vapors Is glistening, glistening, glistening with dew Let us bless the power Of the reborn sun With all the universe Let us celebrate Let us celebrate its return Crowned with splendor It rises Crowned with splendor It rises, it rises, it soars The waking of the earth Is a hymn of love The waking of the earth Is a hymn of love [gentle piano accompaniment] [audience applauds] [“Jong Jong Inai” arr.
by Tracy Wong] Jong jong jong jong jong Jong jong jong jong jong Jong inai, jong inai Jong inai, jong inai Jong inai, jong inai Rajawali [snapping] Jong jong inai Mak Ipong Rajawali Jong jong inai Mak Ipong Rajawali Jong jong inai Mak Ipong Rajawali Sepak tunggul inai Berdarah ibu kaki Jong jong inai Mak Ipong Rajawali Sepak tunggul inai Berdarah ibu kaki Semangkuk jeluk, sepinggan dadar Tak cukup pulut, tambah nasi dagang Semangkuk jeluk, sepinggan dadar Tak cukup pulut, tambah nasi dagang Jong jong jong, jong jong jong [clapping] Jong Ipong wali!
Jong hey jong hey pong Raja wali wali Jong hey jong hey pong Rajawali Jong jong inai Mak Ipong Rajawali Sepak tunggul inai Berdarah ibu kaki Jong jong inai Mak Ipong Rajawali Sepak tunggul inai Berdarah ibu kaki Semangkuk jeluk, sepinggan dadar Tak cukup pulut, tambah nasi dagang Semangkuk jeluk, sepinggan dadar Tak cukup pulut, tambah nasi dagang Jong jong jong, jong jong jong Jong Ipong wali!
Jong hey jong hey pong Raja wali wali Jong hey jong hey pong Rajawali Jong jong inai Mak Ipong Rajawali Sepak tunggul inai Berdarah ibu kaki Jong jong inai Mak Ipong Rajawali Sepak tunggul inai Berdarah ibu kaki Sepak tunggul inai Berdarah ibu kaki Sepak tunggul inai Berdarah ibu kaki Sepak tunggul inai Berdarah ibu kaki Jong inai jong inai Jong inai jong inai Jong inai jong inai Jong inai jong inai Rajawali [audience applauds and cheers] [Symphony No.
4, mvt.
IV by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky] [rousing orchestra music] [Symphony No.
4, mvt.
IV by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky] [Symphony No.
4, mvt.
IV by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky] [Symphony No.
4, mvt.
IV by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky] [Symphony No.
4, mvt.
IV by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky] [Symphony No.
4, mvt.
IV by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky] [Symphony No.
4, mvt.
IV by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky] [cymbal crash] [Symphony No.
4, mvt.
IV by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky] [Symphony No.
4, mvt.
IV by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky] [Symphony No.
4, mvt.
IV by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky] [rousing ending note] [audience applauds and cheers] [“Yonder Come Day” arr.
by Paul John Rudoi] Oh day, yonder come day Oh day, yonder come day Oh day, yonder come day Day done broke in my soul Yonder come day Good mornin’ day Yonder come day Mornin’ day Yonder come day Mornin’ day Yonder come day Day done broke in my soul Yonder come day A brand new day Yonder come day Brand new day Yonder come day Brand new day Yonder come day Day done broke in my soul Yonder come day Oh come on child Hush, hush Somebody’s callin’ my name Hush Somebody’s callin’ my name Hush, hush Somebody’s callin’ my name Oh my Lord, oh my Lord What shall I do?
What shall I do?
Oh day, yonder come day Oh day, yonder come day Oh day, yonder come day Day done broke in my soul Yonder come day I was on my knees Yonder come day On my knees Yonder come day On my knees Yonder come day Day done broke in my soul Yonder come day When I heard him say Yonder come day Heard him say Yonder come day Heard him say Yonder come day Day done broke in my soul Yonder come day Oh come on child Steal away, steal away Steal away to Jesus Steal away, steal away I ain’t got long to stay here Steal away, steal away Steal away to Jesus Steal away, steal away I ain’t got long to stay here Swing low, sweet chariot Steal away, steal away Comin’ for to carry me home Steal away to Jesus Swing low, sweet chariot Steal away, steal away Comin’ for to carry me home I ain’t got long to stay here Oh day, yonder come day Oh day, yonder come day Oh day, yonder come day Day done broke in my soul Yonder come day Good mornin’ day, yonder come day Mornin’ day, yonder come day Mornin’ day, yonder come day Day done broke in my soul Yonder come day A brand new day, yonder come day Brand new day, yonder come day Brand new day, yonder come day Day done broke in my soul Yonder come day Oh come on child, yonder come day Come on child, yonder come day Come on child, yonder come day Day done broke in my soul Yonder come day
– Mariana: Yes!
[audience applauds and cheers]
– Anouncer: Funding for the 2025 WSMA State Honors Concerts was provided by: the John W. and Lenore L. Landry Endowment, donors to the Focus Fund for the Arts, and Friends of PBS Wisconsin.
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