The lights dimmed, and the audience of students and parents settled into their seats for the show.

Members of Western’s concert band tapped their feet in appreciation as guest director Franklin Norris took his place in front of the band for its performance Sunday.

The concert, which was held in Van Meter Auditorium, was part of the semester-long series “Season of Symphonies,” where a different symphony was played at each concert.

The concert was conducted mainly by Jeffrey Steiner with guest conductors John Carmichael and Norris. It also featured Bremen junior Brandon Jones on euphonium.

The band played seven different pieces varying in style. The composition dates of each piece ranged from as long ago as 1893 to as recently as 1999.

The concert began on an upbeat with John Phillip Sousa’s “The Liberty Bell.” It was followed with a calmer Timothy Mahr piece, “Daydream.” Other songs included “Scenes from the Louvre”, “Symphony No.1,” “Vesuvius,” “Morceau Symphonique” and “Fantasia in G.”

The concert band started working on the pieces in late February.

Steiner says the band’s progress has been “phenomenal.”

“The highlight of my week is working with these students,” he said.

Elizabethtown sophomore Lucas Broyles attended the concert for his music appreciation class. This was the first concert he went to. He said he especially enjoyed “Symphony No. 1” by Daniel Bukvich.

“That song brought me to the point where I was on the edge of my seat,” Broyles said.

Members of the band also enjoyed performing for the audience.

Shepherdsville freshman Julie Civello has played French horn in the concert band for two semesters.

She said she thought the concert went well and she enjoyed playing the Frank Ticheli piece, “Vesuvius.”

Civello finds that being a part of the band is not hard to fit into her schedule.

“I enjoy getting to make music with other people,” she said.

Reach Laura Hagan at [email protected].