Stephen C. Massey, Director of Music for the Foxboro Public Schools, conducts the Foxboro High School Wind Ensemble. The 45 members of the Wind Ensemble are selected via audtion from the 90 members of the FHS Concert Band. A third band, The FHS Symphonic Band conducted by Assistant Director of Bands, George Murphy, is also a vital part of the band program.
The Wind Ensemble has been the touring showcase concert band of Foxboro High School for 25 years. The group has been awarded 1st place recognition at numerous music festivals in Toronto, New York City, Montreal, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Williamsburg, and Virginia Beach. These adjudicated performances include the Festivals of Music, The International Music Festivals, and The Apple Blossom Festival. In addition, the Wind Ensemble has performed concerts with collegiate Wind Ensembles from The University of Massachusetts, the University of New Hampshire, The University of Connecticut, and Boston University. The FHS Wind Ensemble has been honored to work with numerous guest conductors and soloists. Composers in residence have included Daniel Bukvich, Thomas Duffy, Mark Miller, as well as FHS Student composers.
The 1998 Wind Ensemble premiered a new work entitled "Old Ironsides" by Thomas Duffy at the Massachusetts All-State Music Educator's Conference. The Massachusetts Instrumental Conductor's Association ( MICCA ) commissioned the work, and Mr. Duffy conducted the premiere performance. The 1999 FHS Wind Ensemble was selected via audition tape to perform at the prestigious Bands of America Concert Festival in Indianapolis, Indiana. The 2000 Wind Ensemble premiered a new work by Mark Miller entitled "Different Prisms." The work is for wind ensemble and woodwind quintet, and featured guest artist the Arcadian Woodwind Quintet. The 2003 wind ensemble will premiere a new work by Mark Miller in January of 2004 entitled "Vicious Circles."
The Wind Ensemble has performed at Symphony Hall in Boston on four occasions and the 2001 group performed an extensive eight-day northeast USA tour. The tour featured performances at three college music departments. The 2002 Wind Ensemble was the featured performing group at a Band Directors Seminar sponsored by Boston University. The group was honored to work with clinician Frank Batisti.
The FHS Wind ensemble has recorded three CD's. "Celebrate Celebration", "Scenes From The Louvre", and "Different Prisms." Both are collections of great band masterworks from the wind band tradition