News Briefs: Upcoming New Trier concert dedicated to late band director; Wilmette gymnasts stick it at state; Rotary Hope Walk is on Saturday

New Trier High School’s Spring Festival of Music Concert this week will be dedicated to the memory of the school’s former director of bands, John A. Thomson, who passed away in November 2024. Thomson taught at the district for 25 years until his retirement in 2007.

The free concert will take place at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 1, in New Trier’s Gaffney Auditorium, 385 Winnetka Ave. in Winnetka, and is open to the public. 

The concert will include three pieces commissioned in Thomson’s honor, and the National Band Association will also posthumously present Thomson with a Distinguished Legacy Award, which will be accepted by his wife, Susan, and two sons, Brian and Will (both New Trier graduates). 

“Mr. Thomson was a strong supporter of commissioned works, regularly contracting composers to write new music for concert bands,” New Trier Director of Bands Matt Temple said in a statement. “It also seems fitting that we invite a rising young composer, Janelle Finton, to perform one of her newest works with us.” 

The concert band version of Finton’s piece, “Letting Go: Space for Joy,” was recently commissioned by the John Hersey High School band for their performance at the Midwest Clinic in December 2024, and the New Trier Symphonic wind ensemble’s performance will be one of the first since its premiere.

In addition to writing the piece, Finton will join the ensemble on the flugel horn and sing as part of the performance. She is a former student of New Trier Music & Theatre Department Chair Elizabeth Bennett, who previously taught at Buffalo Grove High School. 

The other pieces on the program include two works directly connected with Thomson: “O Whistle, and I’ll Come to Ye,” commissioned in honor of Thomson’s retirement in 2007, and “Africa: Ceremony, Song, and Ritual,” one of Thomson’s earliest and most significant commissions. 

The concert is supported by a grant from the New Trier Fine Arts Association, a nonprofit parent organization dedicated to promoting and enhancing the student experience in the fine arts at New Trier High School.

Local gymnasts bring home five state titles

The Wilmette Park District’s Xcel Gymnastics team won five individual championships during the Illinois Xcel State Championships April 4–6 at Illinois State University in Normal.

The program also qualified 14 gymnasts for the regional championships in May.

During state, Wilmette gymnasts earned the highest scores in every individual event and the all around. Jagoda Jablonska, 11, won the vault (9.7); Jenna Sonnenschein, 11, the uneven bars (9.85); Sarah Kaplan, 11, the balance beam (9.625); Amber Ruey, 12, the floor routine (9.75); and Charlotte Van Horn, 11, the all-around (37.525).

The regional qualifiers include Van Horn, Ruey, Eloise Sisco, Olivia Peterka and Avery Ross. They all earned spots on the Illinois state team and were selected as top-eight all-around gymnasts for their respective age groups.

The regional meet will include gymnasts from Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and Ohio.

Rotary Hope Walk set for Saturday, May 3

Local rotary clubs are uniting for the fourth annual Hope Walk for the Homeless at 10 a.m. this Saturday, May 3, at Gillson Park in Wilmette.

The event raises funds for organizations that serve the unhoused in the North Shore, including Connections for the Homeless, La Casa Norte, Fraternite Notre Dame and Interfaith Action of Evanston.

The rotary clubs of Wilmette, Winnetka/Northfield, Evanston Lighthouse and Skokie Valley are co-hosting the event. This year’s event will once again include dogs as part of the festivities, inviting both two-legged and four-legged participants to walk together in support of a meaningful cause.

“We are so excited to celebrate (another) year of including dogs in the Hope Walk for Homelessness 5K,” said Brian Bradley, Wilmette Rotary community service chair, in a news release. “Having dogs participate brings even more joy and connection to the event and helps raise awareness for an important cause. It’s a fun way for families, friends, and pets to come together to support those who are struggling with homelessness in our community.”

For more information or to register for the Hope Walk for Homelessness 5K, visit Wilmetterotary.org.