Two Nights of Student Music

Hundreds of students from East End schools have been rehearsing for the last several weeks for the Hampton Music Educators Association festival concerts. The middle school show is Saturday at 6 p.m. at Southold High School, and the high school show will be on Jan. 23, also a Saturday, at 7:30 p.m. at Eastport-South Manor High School.

Eric Reynolds, a Sag Harbor teacher who heads the Hampton Music Educators Association, said this year’s middle school show will feature traditional melodies and rhythms of the sub-Saharan African cultures. The choir selections include spirituals, Western classical vocal works, and lighter, jazzier fare. The high school band will perform more contemporary symphonic selections, along with an original piece titled “Returning Home” by the band conductor, Chris Bernotas, a teacher from Mountain Lakes High School in New Jersey.

Mr. Reynolds said the concerts are meaningful for several reasons, including opportunities for new friendships, new skills, and access to scholarships.

“The festivals provide an educational and social opportunity that they may not have experienced otherwise,” he said in an email. “Our students experience performing in ensembles that may double, triple, and even quadruple the size of their school ensembles. Our H.M.E.A. students find this experience to be excitingly challenging, musically enriching, and personally rewarding.”

About 350 students from 18 middle schools and more than 300 students from 10 high schools will take part in the performances. Tickets are $5 for adults, $3 for children ages 10 and younger, and can be purchased at the door.