It took two years for that first note to ring out through Carnegie Hall, and when it did, the sound left the students awestruck — though they didn’t miss a beat. On Good Friday 2024, the Bishop Dunne Catholic School band played at the storied New York City concert venue as part of the National Band and Orchestra Festival. Students say it was a dreamlike 35 minutes of stage time that flew by in a haze of nervous, excited adrenaline.
“The moment really hit me the second we played our first note, and the hall just sang,” says junior Elias Young, who plays the tuba.
Bishop Dunne Catholic School (BDCS) is a small private school in Oak Cliff that serves students from sixth grade to 12th grade. The school’s band, led by director Daniel Harrelson, practiced for months before traveling to New York for a performance that was a testament to their dedication and skill. To even be considered for an audition to play at Carnegie Hall, the Bishop Dunne band had to win a top rating at a New Orleans band festival in 2022.
The timing of the performance was fitting, as the concert aligned with Easter Weekend and the four songs the band chose to play embodied the hope and joy of the season. The final piece in the set was a rendition of “This Little Light of Mine,” commissioned by the school and written specifically for them by Dr. Tom O’Connor.
For many students, playing onstage at Carnegie Hall was a devotional experience. Senior Donielle Woodard says that the first piece in the set, “The Light Eternal” by James Swearingen, was written to convey the love and light of Christ. “Being on that stage and performing that piece … I knew our music was meant to allow the audience to experience His presence,” she says. “And I truly believe we accomplished that.”
Winning a place at the festival was only one part of the story, though. The school, already known for its generous scholarship program and personalized family tuition program, was determined not to let cost get in the way of students making this once-in-a-lifetime trip. A campaign to raise $60,000 in 60 days was launched and, thanks to the school’s dedicated and invested community, swiftly achieved. Many students did additional fundraising themselves to supplement the campaign, and in the end, the donations made possible a three-day trip that included visits to New York landmarks and even seeing Hamilton on Broadway.
For the students, some of them as young as seventh grade, playing Carnegie Hall was an exercise in diligence — and not unlike the classic joke about practice being the only way to get to Carnegie Hall. “In band class, we practiced. For homework, we practiced. After school, we practiced. In advisories and off-periods, we practiced,” Woodard, who plays percussion, says. “There was never a period in the year leading up to Carnegie Hall where we did not practice.”
Harrelson says the musical opportunity is a manifestation of the school’s larger priority to provide students with unique experiences. “We want to try to include these life affirming and life enriching opportunities,” he says. “That’s one of the things that’s so great about Bishop Dunne’s community, and the community as a whole … They see the value in these opportunities that so few people have.”
The 2020-21 school year marked the 50th anniversary of the band program, and the 60th anniversary of the school itself. The performance at Carnegie Hall was a coming together for multiple generations, with several alumni, school faculty and staff joining the students onstage.
Since some alumni lived in other states, the band employed virtual rehearsals to practice the pieces — a skill they learned during the pandemic when the band couldn’t meet in person. For these participants, the rehearsal at Carnegie Hall was the first time they played with the entire ensemble after months of virtual practice. “The performance opportunity meant that I could reconnect with the Bishop Dunne band and have another chance to play music with them,” says alumna Leanne Cross, who plays percussion.
According to Harrelson, the concert was also instrumental in teaching students essential life skills. While many of them felt that the Sunday rehearsals and months of practice were difficult, the payoff and the perseverance they learned were well worth it.
“I think the fact that I’m only a second year player at such a small school and yet was able to have such an amazing opportunity really makes this that much more special,” junior Archerr Kuykendall, who plays flute, says. “A little over a year ago, I hardly knew how to play the flute, and now I just played at the greatest concert hall in America.”