Hommocks Band and Choir Win Festival "Espirt" Award

by Anna Danoy; photos by Joe Danoy

(June 11, 2008) Neither bad weather nor bad traffic kept Hommocks music students from reaching and excelling at the Music in the Parks festival on Saturday, May 31. The event is one of dozens sponsored by Music in the Parks each year, with the aim of keeping the focus on the educational goals of performing groups who attend the many festivals held at amusement parks.

For the past five years, Hommocks Middle School Band Director Tom Jordan has invited his band students to perform at the Lake Compounce festival, and this year the bands were joined by students from the chorus. The delegation included 92 members of the 6th 7th and 8th grade bands and 42 members of the various choirs, who boarded chartered school buses at 9:00 am on May 31 along with Mr. Jordan, 6th grade band director Jim Mullen, choir director Mary Hermann, and several parent chaperones for the 90 minute journey

The festival was to begin at New Britain High School where expert judges would evaluate each school across several categories: concert band, jazz ensemble, orchestra and choir. Participants would then travel to the Lake Compounce (www.lakecompounce.com) amusement park for an afternoon of fun, culminating in an awards ceremony at 5:00 pm.

Major thunderstorms were predicted, but no one anticipated the traffic jam on I-95 that delayed the trip by 25 minutes until the first bus driver could exit and lead the others through the back roads of Greenwich, CT and onto I-684 to continue the trip. The students were excitedly talking and singing their way along.

By the time the contingent arrived at New Britain High School, all the other schools had performed, and the Hommocks students had only a brief moment to get ready to perform. Nevertheless, each group performed “brilliantly,” according to their chaperones, and then went on to the amusement park.

The sky was cloudy and the air was thick as all 134 Hommocks participants charged the entrance eager to ride roller coasters and water slides, and have lunch. At 5:00 pm, wet, tired and happy, everyone moved to the pavilion area for the awards ceremony. Two trophies were awarded to Hommocks Middle school for their musical performances and the students cheered loudly.

The last prize to be given each year is the coveted “Esprit de Corps” award, which is given to the school that exhibits the best combination of being focused on achieving their goal, good citizenship, positive attitude, and strong school pride and spirit. The crowd was silent for this presentation. The judge remarked that while several schools had been significantly delayed by traffic and had arrived late to the performance, one group of students had demonstrated the qualities exemplified by this award – Hommocks Middle School. The deafening roar of the band and choir as they recognized their own accomplishments could be heard clear across the park.

Mr. Jordan was proud of the students for receiving the award created by Music In The Parks in recognition of “all the many things that go on behind the scenes.” He said, “These intangibles are some of the most valuable attributes music students learn, both in the short term as they learn to work together to realize a piece of music, and in the long term as they approach their life challenges.”

Mr. Jordan noted that it was the second year in which Hommocks had won the Lake Compounce festival Esprit to Corps prize, which he called “the most coveted award” and the one that “is given a special place of honor by being the final award announced and being symbolized with the largest trophy.“

Winning the trophy was big drama for the students, but so was the weather experienced on the ride home.

As they exited the park re-energized by their accomplishments, students boarded the buses and watched in awe as a giant thunderhead loomed nearby. The skies blackened into a downpour, complete with wind and hail as the buses streamed down the highway. Then, as the rain receded, a voice in the crowd exclaimed, “Look at the rainbow!” Every head turned to look, when another student shouted, “There’s another one!”

Two rainbows, three trophies, esprit de corps, a great day...

The bus ride home was marked by pouring rain and double rainbows.

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