The Falling Rain - James Swearingen, Eltham High School Concert Band

Eltham High School Concert Band, Conducted by Brent Mills. Recorded at Mid Year Concert on Wednesday 22 May 2024.
The Falling Rain - James Swearingen
Written to depict the calm and peaceful sound of raindrops, composer James Swearingen wrote the following:
I’ve come to believe that nothing is more peaceful than the gentle sounds of falling rain. As a small child, I can vividly remember being told that the presence of rain was simply God’s way of satisfying Mother Nature’s quench for thirst. As a young boy, I relished standing in the rain while looking directly up to the sky in hopes of identifying the exact location from where the rain had started to descend. The patter of raindrops on the roof of our home has often accompanied a restful night’s sleep. And one of my all time favorite moments has been to sit on our screened-in porch, in the company of good thoughts , while being mesmerized by the steady sounds of an afternoon shower. Special moments, like the ones I’ve just described, are never meant to be taken lightly. Above all else, they should be savored and enjoyed to the absolute fullest.
Eltham High School Music Department
Eltham High School is a large high school on the urban rural fringe of north eastern Melbourne. The school’s primary focus has always been to enhance student outcomes through the provision of high quality teaching and learning strategies.
The Music Program at Eltham High School is internationally renowned for its excellence and is recognised as one of the finest school Instrumental Music Programs in Australia.
The Music Program provides private Instrumental lessons for all orchestral instruments: Strings, Woodwind, Brass and Percussion. Our Ensemble Program includes four Wind Ensembles, three String Ensembles, three Big Bands, a choir and various chamber ensembles, allowing our students to have the opportunity to be involved in a variety of musical experiences.
The students are also provided with Classroom Music lessons as part of their school curriculum. Music theory, song writing, arranging, composition, technology and solo performance make up the various components of the curriculum which is taught from year 7-12.
Eltham High School is highly regarded as an educational institution. Its reputation as an outstanding academic school is well recognised within the community and education circles. The co-curricular opportunities offered to our students across a range of areas including the performing and visual arts programs and the elite sports program are outstanding. Engagement with student leadership initiatives is sustained across all areas and levels of the school.
In the last 80 Years Eltham High School has established a tradition through its strong commitment to the areas of:
• Inspiring through excellence
• Creativity
• Individuality
• Social Justice
Eltham High School is a school with high expectations where you feel safe to be yourself and challenged to think critically, to work independently and in teams, to show leadership and to achieve success along many pathways.
We believe that the “Deeds that Count” are:
• Respect
• Integrity
• Respect for diversity
• Environmental and social responsibility.