On April 4th, the Potomac Honors Handbell Ensemble traveled to Charlotte, North Carolina, beginning a weekend of ringing with a rendition of the National Anthem at the Spectrum Center, where the Charlotte Hornets faced the Sacramento Kings in a must-win game…to not finish last in the Eastern Conference.
With the game itself nothing more than a dead rubber match–and with (Seth) Curry looking like he had just run a marathon–the most noise made during the entire game was the patriotic cheers after the National Anthem rang out. Some might even say that Curry was moved to tears once he heard the sweet sound of the anthem throughout the empty stadium.
Having had to memorize the entire song, and with thousands of (pairs) of eyes staring down on them, the ensemble looked calm and collected. While the official attendance online read 15,896, a mere glance around showed that no more than a few thousand had bothered to drag themselves out to watch their team continue its home losing streak. Even so, it was arguably the largest audience the handbells ensemble had ever played for!
Like many Hornets supporters, the ensemble called it “quits” after the third quarter and joined the thousands streaming out of the stadium to make their way to the hotel to get a good night’s rest before an early start the following morning.
On a more serious note, the ensemble competed with the highest brass in the greater Mecklenburg County area; Potomac’s group would end the following day on a high, winning the award for the best, albeit only, handbell group in the competition.
The honors ensemble rang two pieces, including “Moonlight Lullaby,” a calming, yet not so calming that it put anyone to sleep (we think), serenade of different melodies and syncopated rhythm. “No Time For Caution,” an exciting marte and chime-heavy piece, one of the main themes for Interstellar, was also performed. Both of these masterpieces were conducted by the world-renowned, ever-sublime, handbell luminary Mr. Nicholas Hanson, who led the ensemble with perfect cues and timing. The ensemble would be nowhere without Mr. Hanson, and the unfortunately absent Mr. Christopher Simon, who have guided the group in every shape and form.
In addition to this astounding performance, the ensemble was recognized at the competition with the Best Spirit award, perfectly exemplifying Potomac’s core values of perseverance, respect, courage, and humility, while representing the school in the highest regard throughout the trip.
Later, while at Carowinds, the ensemble enjoyed a wonderful eight hours at the theme park, capped off by receiving the best “grade” in the entire competition: scoring a 98% on both pieces. The trip to the park was highlighted by a monstrous, 325-foot-high roller coaster, some lovely frozen yogurt, and several fun carnival games, which ended up being a great way to burn some cash.
Sunkissed and full of sugar, the team capped off a memorable few days with dinner at Cracker Barrel before packing the bus full of bells (and several trophies) and making the long trek home the following morning.
Arriving back at school after a grueling seven hours on the road, the ensemble parted ways, as students made it back to their humble abodes. Looking forward to finally having a chance to de-stress and relax, they were met by the grueling realization that it was 7:00 PM on Sunday and that the combined 14 hours on a bus was, in fact, the end of their weekend…
