Tuesday, May 16th, marked the final music concert of the year for both orchestra and band. For many, this would be their last high school concert before graduation. Junior Michael Hill said, “This concert is always very special because it is the seniors’ last one and, as always, this means next year will be different, but it is also exciting.” 

The night started off with students backstage gathering their instruments and music before showtime at 7 p.m. Ms. Sassano, head of the HHS Music Department and conductor of the HHS Orchestra, gave a brief talk to her students before opening the concert with a fantastic assortment of string pieces that wowed the crowd. Her sentimental reflections about the past year and the flourish of activity leading up to this moment set the perfect tone for the evening. To close the orchestra portion of the concert, Ms. Sassano conducted the symphony, which incorporated both string instruments and some band instruments-flutes, clarinets, trumpets, trombones, tuba, drums, oboe, bassoon, and more. March Slave and Prelude stunned the audience into huge applause as the auditorium rang with the lull and quick paced beats.

After a brief set change, Concert Band took the stage and conductor Mr. Cincotta went right into a Pixar Medley that had the crowd flashing back to their childhood memories, especially in regard to You Got a Friend in Me from Toy Story. Their second piece Yorkshire set a more conservative feel, drawing their hard work to a spectacular end.

Next up, Wind Ensemble occupied the stage. Immediately, the entire brass section stood on their feet and the sounds of the drums awakened the audience. Fanfare for the Common Man echoed off the walls of the auditorium as the band played without a conductor. Wind Ensemble had been working meticulously to play Fanfare for the Common Man without Mr. Cincotta’s conducting and it fared quite impressively. The next piece they played, Ride, sparked a hectic energy that coasted into a chorale from American Elegy dedicated to Columbine High School and the tragedy that occurred on April 20th, 1999. The closing piece marked another fantastic and outstanding performance from Orchestra, Concert Band, and Wind Ensemble.

However, the night was far from over. Ms. Sassano and Mr. Cincotta acknowledged their senior musicians with pride and gave out awards. It really reflected how much Ms. Sassano and Mr. Cincotta care about their students and their efforts to know their musicians. Some graduates of Hingham High School Orchestra and Band even came back to see the concert. 2016 graduate Tom O’Hanley said, “It was a really nice concert with some great pieces. It really brought me back to my high school days in band. It kinda hit me during one of the concert band pieces that I really miss it (band). It was a large part of my high school experience and I’m glad I did it.”

Backstage after the concert, the whirl of greetings and support from the past graduates was remarkable. The night ended with refreshments and a bittersweet end to another year as Ms. Sassano and Mr. Cincotta began to disassemble the stage.