Nearly 600 Students Attend N-O's 'Biggest-Ever' Honor Band

5th grade band

6th grade band

Percussion ensemble

Directors perform

It was "All About That Bass" at the 7th Annual Neligh-Oakdale Honor Band on Saturday.

Nearly 600 students from 29 schools converged at the Neligh-Oakdale School for the all-day clinic, which was organized by Director Nate Metschke.

"Some were sick today, so I'm guessing 590 actually played," Metschke said. "It was our biggest ever! I never dreamed 7 years ago that this was possible, but it's such a neat experience for the kids! I'm always surprised how good the concerts are after 4.5 hours of practice!"

All of the Antelope County schools - Clearwater-Orchard, Elgin, Elkhorn Valley, Neligh-Oakdale and St. Boniface - attended the honor band. Other schools participating were: Battle Creek, Bloomfield, Boone Central, Burwell, Central Valley, Chambers, Creighton, Crofton, Ewing, Lakeview Community, Loup City, Madison, O'Neill, Osmond, Palmer, Plainview, Randolph, Rock County, Stanton, Stuart, Wakefield, Wausa, Wheeler Central and Wynot.

Clinicians were Kevin McLouth, 5th grade; Randy Neuharth, 6th grade; and Chad Barnhill, percussion.

The fifth graders played five selections: "T-Rex," "Dragons in the Mist," "Monuments," "Antiquitus," and "Surfin' U.S.A." Sixth graders also performed five songs: "Crazy Crocodile," "Supremacy," "The Distant Castle," "William Told Too Much," and "March Bits & Pieces." The percussion ensemble played "Rumble," "Note-Worthy," and "The Pop-n-Rock."

Between the performances, the crowd was entertained with songs by band directors from the participating schools.