Baltimore County music education partakes in an adjudication each year. Dulaney High School’s (DHS) chorus, orchestra and bands performed at Towson University this year as part of this program.

An adjudication includes three pieces of music and a warm-up piece that is not assessed. Each group performs in front of three judges, then completes a reading assessment that the ensemble has not seen before. The scoring rubric for adjudication ranges from fair to superior. 

Chorus 

DHS choir performed the pieces, “Adiemus” by Karl Jenkins, “As the Rain Hides the Stars” by Elaine Hagenberg and “We did Colorful” by Philip Silva. The choir was assessed on their diction, ability to sing in tune, the musicianship of their performance and expressions. They were also told to sight read a three part harmony piece

Choir director Christina Senita led the group to receive a superior score. 

“I’m incredibly proud of them…I always tell my students the judges don’t know you so what’s most important is that you bring a really meaningful experience…So I said, if we make mistakes, it’s fine, but just be musical and create an experience. And that’s exactly what they did,” said Senita.

Orchestra 

Assessed on intonation, rhythmic accuracy, musicality and sense of balance, GT Chamber Orchestra warmed up with “NewCastle March,” by Johnnie Vinson. Then later performed a piece by Dulaney alumni, Brian Balmages, “30,000 and Forever”, along with three movements of Bantak’s five movement piece “Scenes from the Scottish Highlands.” Prepped by director Barry Chesky for about 2 months, DHS’s Orchestra received straight superior ratings. 

GT Wind Ensemble

GT Wind Ensemble, led by Chesky, also had a two month period of preparation. The pieces performed were “Themes from Maurice Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G,” as a warm-up, arrangements of “Amazing Grace,” by composer Frank Tekeli and the ensemble “Sea Songs,” by Vaughan Williams. Dulaney’s GT Wind Ensemble received two superior ratings accompanied by two excellent ratings for their on stage performance. Chesky notes how honored he is to conduct both Gt Chamber Orchestra and GT Wind Ensemble. 

“I am very proud of all my students for their hard work and dedication in preparation for the Instrumental Music Adjudications,” said Chesky. 

Honors Band

The honors band performed warm up piece “Italian Masters Suite” movement one and judgment pieces “Heart of Madness,” by Mark Lortz and “Into the Cloud’s” by Richard Salcedo Christina Donall, piano teacher and honors wind ensemble conductor, was able to invite Lortz to work with the students on performing his piece, allowing them to understand what the piece should sound like. To further prepare her students, Donall asked her aunt, a retired music teacher from Hartford County, to assist in suggesting places for improvement. Despite unexpected challenges before and during the performance, the band received overall superior ratings. 

“When we listened to the judges’ recording and we were like, oh, that actually sounded a lot better than what we heard up there,” said Donall.

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