The annual High School Band and Choir Spring Concert at Saucon Valley High School promises to be extra special this year.

The concert, which will be performed at 7:30pm Tuesday, April 17, in the high school auditorium, will be band director Kevin O'Connell's last, he has announced.

This year's concert will feature performances of works by composers Gustav Holst and Clifton Williams, as well as the world premiere of a specially-commissioned piece by O'Connell called "The Awakening."

"The Awakening" was commissioned by a former band parent and Navy Seal, and will be "dedicated to the brave men and women who served at Pearl Harbor," O'Connell said.

Featured concert instrumentalists will be award-winning soloists Emily Keefer on clarinet, Amanda Illingworth on trumpet, and Kyle Marshall on tuba.

Marshall will be performing in the prestigious All-State Band this year, along with Saucon Valley trumpeter Chris Nagy, O'Connell announced.

The director also proudly noted that the Saucon Valley Jazz Band recently placed second in a major high school jazz band competition at SteelStacks in Bethlehem.