Things to do: Want to take a 'Walk in the Park’ with Mepham High School's band?

The Bellmore-Merrick community has a lot to look forward to this holiday season, including the second winter concert for Wellington C. Mepham High School’s musical programs and groups.

It is set to be a standout show for a number of reasons, and Mepham’s Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble has two special pieces it has been preparing — a song titled “Christmas in Kyiv,” written by senior Samantha Nadler, and a second song, “A Walk in the Park,” composed by a Mepham alumnus, Carl Strommen.

Nadler, 17, of Bellmore, said she took up music composition as a hobby in mid-2020, as a way to create music without needing to be in an in-person ensemble. She plays the clarinet and tenor saxophone, and she didn’t want the coronavirus pandemic to get in the way of her musical experience, she explained.

“I started writing short pieces for all kinds of concert bands,” she said, ”but there was a time when I wanted to share my gift of composition with my community.”

Nadler said that her band teacher, Anthony Brandofino, suggested she write a piece to complement the song by Strommen, to make the already special concert set even more so.

“I wanted to write a piece that would not only be a fun piece to play, but also a learning experience that connects the music community to current events,” she said. “I was inspired by the ongoing war in Ukraine to create ‘Christmas in Kyiv.’”

The piece is a unique holiday song that blends Ukrainian folk music with the well-known “Ukrainian Bell Carol” — known more commonly as “Carol of the Bells.”

“Working with Samantha over the last four years has been an absolute dream,” Brandofino said. “She has a bit of  ‘Midas touch’ — anything in which she involves herself in, both in and outside of music, results in such high quality.

“Samantha’s musicianship is right up there with many professional composers I have chosen to program in past concert performances,” he added. “What is most profound in this accomplishment is Samantha’s thoughtful melding of astute musical creativity with the greater awareness of the world around her.”

Nadler said she thinks music is a great way to raise awareness of a good cause. “We don’t all speak the same language,” she said, “but we can convey all the same emotions through music.”

Last week, every section of the band gathered in the Mepham auditorium to rehearse Nadler’s piece — and it was the first time she’d heard everything come together.

“We have an ensemble of just sophomores, and another of mostly juniors and seniors, and we combine to form a larger ensemble for the winter concert,” she said. “There’s some parts that only one band had, and hearing the two ensembles together for the first time, playing the piece I worked hard on for the upcoming concert, was really a dream come true.”

As for Strommen’s piece, Brandofino said that its performance has been years in the making. Strommen graduated from Mepham in 1957, and went on to have a successful career as a composer. 

“Although it was initially intended to be performed among students from our district’s three high school band programs, we are thrilled to finally bring it back to our stage, and Mr. Strommen’s home,” Brandofino said. “In ‘A Walk in the Park,’ Mr. Strommen has captured an aura of nostalgia in the music that our students deliver quite nicely.”

Brandofino said that Strommen has worked with the band twice in the lead-up to the concert — even observing the band during last week’s rehearsal — and has been encouraging and supportive along the way, offering pointers when possible.

“It has been very beneficial for our students to learn from the perspective of this seasoned professional,” Brandofino said. “We understand how special it is for Mr. Strommen to be returning back to his roots — we hope we have made him proud.”

Cheryl Fontana, the director of fine and performing arts in the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District, agreed with Brandofino that the opportunity for Mepham’s students to work with Strommen has been a rewarding one.

“Any opportunity to learn from a professional in the field is invaluable,” Fontana said, “but the fact that he is a Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District alum makes it that much more special.”

Mepham’s first winter concert took place this week, on Dec. 14. The second — which will feature the band and performances by orchestras — is slated for Dec. 20. The orchestras will perform first, beginning at 6:45 p.m., followed by the band, at 8.

Nadler said she was really looking forward to everything coming together next week for one big, final performance.

“With the concert coming up on the 20th, I cannot wait for people outside the Mepham music community to hear ‘Christmas in Kyiv,’” she said. “We have worked so hard to make our winter concert a special night for myself and Mr. Strommen, and hope to share our gifts in the concert.”