MORGANTOWN – You can’t go wrong with John Phillip Sousa.
And when a group of musicians at University High School began kicking out the jams on Sousa’s “Yorktown Centennial March” in the auditorium on Tuesday morning, you just knew you were hearing the work of the martial master.
Even if you didn’t, necessarily.
That’s because all the patented, Sousa-sonic signatures – the trills, the Tympani – were there.
It was familiar, at least Music Appreciation-osmosis.
Next month in Charleston, the UHS group will follow some pretty familiar tradewinds down to the state capital for a plum spot on a big stage.
The wind ensemble successfully auditioned its way into an honor spot on the program for the 2026 edition of the West Virginia Music Educators Conference, which takes place March 5-7 at the Charleston Coliseum and Conference Center.
“This is a talented bunch,” said Mark Palmer, the UHS band director who also oversees the current ensemble.
The conference, meanwhile, is known for the eclectic concert lineup it annually presents at the gathering, which is also a showcase of West Virginia’s best and brightest musicians.
Full symphony orchestras and jazz combos perform every year – but it’s not an easy gig to get, as Palmer said.
“You have to earn your way in,” he said.
“This gives me a chance to brag on our kids. We’ve sent 15 honors ensembles in some form to Charleston since 2013, and this group makes our seventh in a row. I’m proud.”
Tuesday’s rehearsal was formal – literally.
Brennan Cox plays baritone sax.
The ensemble was having pictures made for the conference program and was thus done out in black-tie and gowns, which will be the wardrobe when it takes the stage next month in Charleston.
“What?” Palmer said, joking. “It’s ‘Tux Tuesday’ at UHS. We always dress like this.”
When the sheet music came out, though, it got serious.
Mark Palmer, director of UHS band, directs the Symphonic Winds Ensemble at the high school Tuesday.
On this morning, the ensemble was primarily working through two pieces: the aforementioned “Yorktown Centennial March” and “Overture Jubiloso,” a cinematic-sounding work composed in the late 1970s.
Sousa’s work was striking a chord with Palmer on this day. Sousa wrote it in 1881, in honor of the-then 100th anniversary of the British surrender at Yorktown, Pa., which effectively meant the Revolutionary War was over, also.
The band director hit on it, because University High is celebrating its 100th birthday this school year.
“We may not play it at the conference,” Palmer said of the Sousa march, “but we’re definitely playing it at commencement.”
Which meant rehearsing either way – in a session punctuated by a host of Palmer asides and directives which served as musical shorthand for the morning.
“You gotta keep the tempo when you come out of that, OK?”
“Hey, we need to stop for a second – I’d rather we get that fixed now, then we’ll go back and play the whole thing through.”
Palmer grinned. After the formal photography portion was over, one trombonist plopped a familiar ballcap onto his head.
Another percussionist ditched her heels for a well-sprung pair of fuzzy slippers.
“These guys work hard. They’ll nail it. They always do. We’ll be ready when we get to Charleston.”
And Mr. Sousa marched forth.
