The instrumental Christmas music concert last Friday was filled with elicited laughs, joy and holiday cheer from the audience. It was a great way for fellow musicians to show some holiday spirit.

Concert band began with a rendition of “Three Moods Of Hanukkah,” a composition arranged by Paul Jennings. This song gave the audience a view into other cultures and how they celebrate the winter season. All the musicians were in sync with one another, and complimented and played off of each other really well.
The evening continued with a rousing rendition of “We Need A Little Christmas,” arranged  by Ted Ricketts. Many people in the crowd enjoyed this enthusiastic performance because the song was a favorite of many people.

“It is exciting when the performance ensembles make the music come alive with passion and energy. It makes my job as the conductor really fun when the students can react to cues that I am giving them from the podium to help shape the music,” performing arts teacher Joslynne Blasdel said.

All the students played to the best of their abilities, and the resulting sounds were magical in their performances. Not only did the musicians sound great, but they also looked amazing. The theater glowed with bright lights making the musicians look spectacular. As well as looking amazing You could really see all the effort these musicians put into creating an amazing performance, they all made sure they were in perfect tune and treated the instrument as though it were something sacred.

Wind ensemble performed next, beginning with “Alpine Legion” by David Lovrien. The highlight of the ensemble’s performances was most definitely “Minor Alterations No. 2:” Carols From The Dark Side,” a composition also arranged by David Lovrien. This piece brought together many known Christmas songs with a bit of both comical and dark elements. Many parts throughout the songs had a cheery tune that were meant to come off as comical, and this made you feel as if you could not help but chuckle. The group’s set ended with a joyous rendition of “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” by Chris Sharp.

“Working with my fellow musicians is great,because we all work really hard and in the end we all come together to create something really special,” ensemble saxaphone player and junior Sofia Alemania said.

The show concluded with a performance by the Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra that began with “Brandenburg Concerto No. 3” by J.S. Bach.

The highlight of the orchestra’s performance was the song “Pat-a-Pan” composed by Chip Davis. It was a stunning song that included an amazing violin solo by senior Katherine Park. This solo complimented the song very well and was played beautifully.

The performance ended with a very enjoyable rendition of “Christmas at the Movies” by Bob Krogstad.The group played unforgettable songs from Christmas movies.

Overall, the instrumental music concert was a great success. The musicians who performed put in a lot of hard  work and showcased their amazing talent.