Denton Homeschool Orchestra Concert Spring 2026
Thursday May 14, 2026, 7:00 PM
The Recital Hall at the University of North Texas
415 Avenue C, Denton, TX 76201
Director: Carma Needham
Program
(*Digital program looks best in landscape mode*)
Denton Homeschool Orchestra:
The Star-Spangled Banner
Francis Scott Key and John Stafford Smith, arr. Carma Needham
Members:
The combined ensembles of the Denton Homeschool Orchestra
The Star-Spangled Banner
During the war of 1812, Francis Scott Key was dispatched on a mission of mercy on September 13, 1814, in the Baltimore Harbor to negotiate the release of American prisoners
Key successfully secured their freedom, but was immediately confined to the “Truce Boat.” He had seen too much and could not be allowed to share British positions with American forces.
Shortly thereafter, the bombardment began. The British troops rained more than 1,500 rockets and shells at the fort, and the enormous 30′ x 42′ flag soon disappeared in the haze of smoke and darkness of the night.
Key could only stand by and watch, hoping that the fort would remain standing. As the first rays of morning lit the sky, Key saw the stars and stripes still “gallantly streaming.” He grabbed the nearest paper — the back of a used envelope — and penned the anthem we so love today. The remnants that flag can still be viewed in the National Archives in Washington DC.
Novice Ensemble:
Go to:
When I Am Baptized (“I Like to Look for Rainbows”)
Isaac Watts and Lowell Mason, arr. Carma Needham
When Johnny Comes Marching Home
Patrick Gilmore, arr. Carma Needham
Honor and Glory
Soon Hee Newbold
Members:
Violins: Dija Al-Baaj, Bethany Harrison, Kinsley Hodges, Violet Hood, Sebastian A Los, Camdyn Martino, Landon McGinnis, Lilly Packer, Juliette Pelissie
Violas: Mary Kate Harrison, Ellie Needham, Fiona Turner
Cellos: Micah Al-Baaj, Gabriella Harrison
When Johnny Comes Marching Home
You might recognize it as the children’s song “The Ants Go Marching One by One.” Originally written as a civil war song in 1863, this song quickly became popular on both sides of the war, and even spread to England and Ireland.
Most of us know the first line, but here is the full 1st verse:
When Johnny comes marching home again,
Hurrah, hurrah!
We’ll give him a hearty welcome then,
Hurrah, hurrah!
The men will cheer, the boys will shout,
The ladies, they will all turn out,
And we’ll all feel gay,
When Johnny comes marching home.
Honor and Glory
American composer Soon Hee Newbold, was born in South Korea, raised in Maryland, and educated at James Madison University in Virginia. Her well-rounded resume includes an internship in AIDS and cancer research, speaking German, French, and Russian, and she also has a black belt in multiple forms of martial arts.
She dedicated this piece “to the brave men and women who risk their lives to protect others and serve in the name of freedom.” You’ll here majestic themes to a march-like tempo interspersed with lyrical lines, creating an inspiring landscape to reflect on those who serve and protect. If that describes you, then our heartfelt thank you for preserving the freedoms we live in daily.
Beginner Ensemble:
Go to:
A collection of folk songs:
Row, Row, Row Your Boat
Traditional, arr. Carma Needham
Oh, When the Saints Go Marching In
Traditional, arr. Carma Needham
Mary Lost Her Little Lamb
Traditional, arr. Carma Needham
My Country ‘Tis of Thee
Samuel Francis Smith, arr. Carma Needham
This Land is Your Land
Woody Guthrie, arr. Carma Needham
Members:
Violins: Aden Leonard, Sam Sterns, Benaiah Winter, Rose Winter
Viola: Illana Grauke
Cello: Asher Leonard
Piano: Blaise Winter
My Country ‘Tis of Thee
Did you know this song was used as the national anthem until 1931? Samuel Francis Smith, a 24 year-old a Baptist seminary student in Massachusetts, took only 30 minutes to write these lyrics after translating a German patriotic hymn to the same tune.
First simply titled “America,” it was debuted by a Boston children’s choir on Independence Day, July 4th, 1831.
Each of the 4 verses commonly sung today mentions freedom –“let freedom ring,” “land of the noble free,” “sweet freedom’s song,” finally cultivating in a prayer to the “Author of liberty.”
— Brief Intermission —
Intermediate Ensemble:
Go to:
God Bless America
Irving Berlin, arr. Stephen DeCesare
Serenade from Schwanengesang, D. 957, No. 4
Franz Schubert, arr. Carma Needham
Suite from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
John Williams, arr. Carma Needham
Members:
Violins: Layla Benson, Brooklyn Merkley, Aiden Schilhab, Cecily Yarbrough
Viola: Caleb Yen
Cellos: James Ellis, Jacob Merkley, Haven B Yarbrough
Piano: Sammy Packer
God Bless America
Jewish immigrant Irving Berlin first wrote this piece while living the spartan life of a drafted soldier in the 77th Infantry Division in 1918 during WWI. He never found the right occasion to debut it, until 1938, the 20th anniversary of WWI Armistice Day.
It immediately captured the hearts of citizens across America. There was brief cry to make it the national anthem. The Star-Spangled banner had been adopted only 8 years earlier. Berlin humbly responded, “We’ve got a good national anthem. You can’t have two.”
From its first performance, Berlin directed that all royalties from this song go directly to the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of America. That arrangement still continues today.
Serenade from Schwanengesang, D. 957, No. 4
Franz Schubert and his friends were returning to Vienna after a Sunday country outing during the summer of 1826. While walking through a park, he saw a friend with a book of poetry open on the a table. As Schubert leafed through the book, he hit upon a poignant love poem and exclaimed, “such a delicious melody has just come into my head, if I but had a sheet of music paper with me.”
A friend pulled a bill of fare from his pocket, drew staff lines on the back, and handed it to Schubert, who scribbled down this unforgettable melody: three close notes followed by an upward leap, which continually draws the heart out in longing tones. The song oscillates between the forlorn minor and the hopeful major tones, reflecting the vast swinging emotions of one hopelessly separated from their love.
Suite from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
25 years ago this October, Harry Potter hit the big screen for the first time, with this Academy-nominated soundtrack for best original score from the unparalleled John Williams.
The piano opens with the iconic motif synonymous all things Harry Potter. The rolling 3/8 time and minor key pull us immediately into a sense of mystery and wonder, as we meet Harry Potter for the first time. It’s called “Hedwig’s Theme,” (though we don’t meet the snowy owl until much later).
Flash forward 11 years. Harry finds out he’s a wizard and experiences all of its wonder for the first time. He walks down Diagon Alley, a street full of wizarding shops, when he first sets eyes on the newest racing broom, and we hear “Nimbus 2000” theme.
The fast, bouncy notes from the strings and the running notes in the piano portray the awkwardness of learning how to fly and the thrill of the high-speed wizard game Quiddich.
Next we hear the cellos and violas with the “Reflection” theme, most often heard in quiet moments when Harry is reflecting on his family or his friends. The upper strings join in until we crescendo into some of the happiest moments in the movie–
“Christmas at Hogwarts!” The light-hearted staccato melody in the piano gives a sense of carefree and childlike “Happy Christmas!”
We close with the same music that ends the movie, a theme called “Harry’s Wondrous World.” Rolling triplets from the 1st violins and piano overlay the soaring, steady beats from the 2nds and violas. At last, all the strings take up the melody while the piano reprises the “Reflection” theme. Then, we end where we began, with the return of “Hedwig’s theme”, and the promise of more adventures to come.
Advanced Ensemble:
Go to:
1812 Overture
Peter Tchaikovsky, arr. Andrew Dabczynski
Hallelujah
Leonard Cohen, arr. Dilber Goncalves & Carma Needham
Suite from Interstellar
Hans Zimmer, arr. Carma Needham
Members:
Violin: Clara Whitworth
Viola: Emmett Fish
Cello: Hyrum Packer
Piano/Harp: Selah Brock
Drums/Percussion: Hinckley Needham
1812 Overture
One of Tchaikovsky’s best known works, this overture tells the story of Napoleon’s invasion of Russia in 1812, and Russia’s eventual victory — the same story told in Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace.
A Russian Orthodox hymn opens this piece. The soulful “O Lord, Save they People” represents the Russian people praying for deliverance from the descending French troops.
Next we hear recognizable battle theme, but ever so softly, symbolizing the the invading French army still at a distance but closing fast. The cello picks up the French national anthem “La Marseillaise,” a broader counter melody played with the marching beat.
The next scene features a violin melody kiting above thick harmonies. Tchaikovsky lifted this tune directly from his first opera “The Voyevoda,” representing the Tsar’s appeal to the common man to rise up and defend the Motherland.
This tune is quickly followed by a Russian folk tune “At the Gate.” It sounds like a dance, mischievous and sad, but lively and restless. It represents the Russian people responding to the Tsar’s plea.
After that, battle music make a brief but forceful appearance with the return of “La Marseillaise.” This is followed by a frantic run of descending notes, recalling the Russians’ hasty retreat from the countryside battlefield into Moscow itself. Next, we hear the return of “O Lord, Save they People,” the prayers louder and more desperate this time.
When the French arrived at Moscow, they expected ample provisions to loot to sustain them through the winter. But, the Russians had already depleted all of the supplies, and then they set fire to 3/4’s of the city. An intense winter storm–which some attribute as the Divine answer to the Russian’s prayers–left the French frozen, starving, and running back home.
With Moscow now deserted, the Russians return to seize the cannons left behind by the retreating French. While you now hear the cannon blasts, “God save the Tsar” plays in the cello (the Russian National Anthem in Tchaikovsky’s time.) The music spins to its triumphant end, celebrating the defeat of Napoleon and the French, and the 1812 Overture.
Suite from Interstellar
Here is another powerhouse score from Hans Zimmer, who authored master works such as Pirates of the Caribbean, The Dark Knight Trilogy, and Dune. Zimmer has called this soundtrack “the best work of [his] career.”
This movie takes place in the near-distant future, when the earth is failing and humanity must search the stars for another suitable home. It tells the story of the handful of intrepid explorers who venture into the unknown in pursuit of saving the human race.
As the piece begins, you’ll hear the ghostly tones from the strings — just a wisp of sound. Underpinning this scarce melody, you’ll hear the steady, repeated quarter notes in the piano representing the one-way, inevitable progress of time, which the earth is urgently running out of. This track is called “Day One,” and it is the beginning of our protagonist Cooper’s journey.
Frantic, arpeggiated 16th notes in the piano break the hypnotic marching of time in the next section called “Cornfield Chase”. As the name implies, Cooper and his kids are tending the cornfields when a defunct drone flies low overhead. They chase after it, soon finding it crash-landed near their fields. What they discover propels them into the next stage of their journey.
Cooper is eventually chosen to lead the team that will search the stars to investigate preselected planets. The team comes to a particularly promising planet with high hopes. In this section called “Mountains,” the aggressive woodblock ticks the time ever-louder, the music turns erie, and the team realizes they are in way over their heads.
The music accelerates into one final section called “No Time for Caution.” Cooper has to dock their ship with a space station that is spinning like a tilt-a-whirl at a carnival, as the stations falls into a planet’s atmosphere, burning up more with each passing second, and with it, their hopes of returning to earth.
In this do-or-die moment, the fate of all of humanity hangs in the balance. Low chords in the viola and cello on top of a flurry of notes in the piano and first violin and an ever-increasing pace of the rutes (slapsticks) from the percussion, leaves the listener almost breathless and the piece comes bursting to its final notes.
Links:
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If you’ve had a good experience with Denton HSO, the best thank you you can give is to share it with others. Would you considering sharing on social media, with your homeschool groups, or leaving us a Google review?
Thank you for a wonderful year! I can’t wait to see what we’ll do together next!
-Carma Needham