By: Cassie Miller

Joyful tunes could be heard throughout the school at the band and choir concert, held on December 12. This is one of two concerts where the high school and junior high students that are involved in band or choir get to showcase their musical talents. Mr. Reeves, the band director, and Mrs. Eikenbary, the choir director, do a great job with the students preparing them for the concert.

First up was the junior high band, which also included a few sixth graders. They performed “March of the Cyclops”, “Bells, Bells, Bells”, “Medallion”, and “Jingle Bells and Jungle Drums”.

The high school band followed the junior high band and  showcased five different Christmas carols during their performance. They played “A Holly Jolly Christmas”, “Carol of the Bells”, “Angels we have Heard on High”, “Ding! Dong! Merrily on High”, “A Family Christmas”, and “Christmas Through the Ages”.

Sebastian Bejarano, a senior trumpet player, said, “It was really fun to play in my last Christmas concert.  I’ve always loved playing in the band and choir so it was really special.”

There were many seniors who appeared in the band this year, so the underclassmen will have big shoes to fill next year.

Next up on stage was the junior high choir. They sang “I See a Star”, “Winter Canon”, and “The Snow’s Gotta Go”.

B Natural, the middle school a cappella choir, sang two songs: “Treat You Better” and “Last Christmas”. They provided a short break from the caroling heard most of the night.

Shelby Richenbacher, a new member to B Natural, said, “I had such a good time even though my voice cracked.”

The high school choir sang several traditional Christmas carols including “Once Upon a December”, “Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth”, and “Christmas Pops Trio”.  Even though the choir is dominantly ladies, the three boys in the group can definitely hold their own on stage.

To close the show, Awakened Commotion performed a mixture of pop songs, including “Demons”, “Just like Fire”, and “Unsteady”, and one Christmas song, “Deck the Rooftop”, that combined two well known carols. All of the members held a solo in at least one of their songs and each member contributed a great voice to the group.

Many students performed in multiple groups that were featured during the concert. Grace King, a senior in the high school choir, Awakened Commotion, and the high school concert band said, “Music is a big influence in my life. Whenever I am down or need to lighten my mood, music is what I use to cheer myself up.”

The students who performed at the concert did a great job and definitely put the crowd into the Christmas spirit.