Review: Christmas Concert

The Pine Grove Area High School Choir directed by Susan Fenstermaker.

On Sunday December 18th, the Pine Grove Area High School Music Department presented family and friends with a delightful Christmas concert. The annual concert consisted of The High School and Middle School Jazz Band, The High School Choir, and The High School Concert Band.

The Jazz band, directed by Ken Gibson, opened the concert with three songs. The first song being “This Christmas”, which was then followed by “A Marshmallow World”. They ended their portion of the concert with a catchy jazz Christmas tune, “Gettin’ Funky On The Housetop”.

After The Jazz Band performed, the High School Chorus, directed by Susan Fenstermaker, took the stage for their portion of the concert. They performed seven songs. They opened with “Joy To The World”, followed by Alleluia. The next song, titled, “In the Bleak Midwinter”, featured Rachael Ediem on flute. They then proceeded on with “When Icicles Hang”. This song consisted of four parts titled, “Winter Nights”, “Good Ale”, “Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind”, and “Hay Ay.” They ended with three songs, “Various Themes on Fa La La”, “Hallelujah”, and “Silent Night”.

The High School Concert Band ended the night with a selection of five songs, starting with “December Joy”. The next piece, “A Christmas Carol”, featured narration that flowed along with the music. This piece was based off of the classic Christmas book/movie that holds the same name. The band proceeded on with a well known Christmas hit titled, “Sleigh Ride”. The next piece, “It’s The Holiday Season”, featured Jordyn Zerbe, Rachael Eidem, Elliot Tucker, and Reese Lutz on vocals. The band ended the concert with “Christmas Declaration”. This piece featured The Cardinal Marching Band Band Front.

As a whole, all the students as well as the staff members worked hard to put together a great performance for the community. Every year, students spend many hours practicing and preparing for this yearly Christmas concert.