It’s that time of year again, when the weather gets colder and lights glistening on rooftops to make the world seem so much more merry and bright. The band program’s 21st annual Holiday Pops Concert came just in time to kick off the holiday season. With raffle baskets, a bake sale, a silent auction, and tones of merry music, this festive concert never fails to fill our hearts with holiday cheer!
Families and friends sat back and enjoyed the show as the bands performed holiday classics like “Carol of the Bells”, music from the score of “Home Alone”, and of course, the fan favorite “Sleigh Ride”, featuring a raffle winner as the special guest conductor. Every year within these songs, the audience seems to be in for a fun surprise. From the horse from last year’s show, to the senior boomwhacker performance from the year before that, there’s always something unique to look forward to. This year, that surprise was found in one of the songs performed by the Symphonic Band, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. The song featured an alto saxophone solo. Though many students auditioned, sophomore Jayden Garchitorena came out on top and performed the song beautifully. The audience enjoyed the smooth sounds of the saxophone.
Last year, a few members of the jazz band had the opportunity to play music during the concert’s 20-minute intermission for the very first time. This year, with some new members and now going by the name The Combo, they did it again, potentially marking the humble beginnings of a new long standing tradition to keep the music going while audience members browse for morsels and baskets to throw raffle tickets into. Although not part of the traditional jazz ensemble, The Combo features clarinetist Patrick Malone, who wowed the audience with a solo, truly displaying the versatility of jazz.
Needless to say, this year’s 21st annual Holiday Pops concert was a success, amassing plenty of funds to support the band program, giving students one more chance to perform before the year was out, and most importantly, kicking off the holiday season with some festive holiday tunes. You can catch the band at their next concert in late January.
