The Cypress Lake High School wind ensemble band – including two Beach teenagers – recently returned from performing at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

The band, which passed an audition to qualify for the performance last fall, spent the majority of last week rehearsing in NYC before displaying their musical talent at the National Band and Orchestra Festival at Carnegie Saturday.

The CLHS wind ensemble under band director Joshua Blair played Leonard Bernstein’s Overture to Candide and The Wrong Note Rag; Aaron Copeland’s Lincoln Portrait; and an arrangement of Red River Valley.

Beach residents Gary and Roxanne Porter were both chaperones on the trip. Their son Greg was one of three trombone players in the CLHS wind ensemble.

“The performance was outstanding,” said Gary Porter. “A number of the children commented on how large the sound was. They had never performed in such a big venue before.”

“It was real reverberant inside,” said Greg Porter. “It was a great sounding hall.”

The local wind ensemble accepted the prestigious honor after placing first in three category events at a Heritage Music Festival in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

That performance and an audition compact disc appeared to be the table-setter.

“They were invited to send in an audition CD of their music to be selected for the Carnegie Festival,” said Porter. “Cypress Lake was one of 18 nationally (selected).”

Porter said the teenagers also experienced going to many cultural sites like the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Times Square and Chinatown.

“We did all the touristy things like riding the subway and taxi cabs,” said Greg. “We also saw Ground Zero. A street in Times Square had all music shops. I felt like I was in heaven.”

Beach resident and parent Sherry Walker also experienced the performance first hand as a chaperone in NYC.

“Being a spectator, it was awesome,” said Walker. “The kids thought they did great and they were ‘up’ after the performance. They were all in awe because the acoustics were so incredible.”

Sherry’s son, Daniel, plays the euphonium – a brass wind instrument similar to a tuba but with a mellower sound.

Walker pointed out that anyone interested in donating to the band’s trip can still do so by going to www.cypresslakeband.com and selecting the sponsors button.

“Even though the fundraiser is over, anyone can still donate,” she said. “It’ll still go to the trip fund and it will be well appreciated.”

The CLHS wind ensemble will be back in action with a scheduled rehearsal Thursday, April 16 from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.