CCHS presents 2019 Winter Concert Monday

By James Grob, jgrob@charlescitypress.com

The Charles City High School Music Department held its 2019 Winter Concert Monday night at Comet Gym.

CCHS vocal music director Derek Sturtevant said the concert was a new and unusual event, as the chorus, band, choirs and orchestra haven’t typically all played together for the same show the same night.

The concert include performances by the Comet Chorus, the CCHS Concert Band, the CCHS Band and CCHS choirs together, the CCHS orchestra, and the orchestra and concert choir together.

Some musical elementary students were also in on the action, as the Elementary Select Chorus, directed by Alexis Whealy, opened the show with performances of “Snow” and “Here Comes the Snow” by Teresa Jennings.

The Comet Chorus performed “One Candle” by Andy Beck and Brian Fisher, with solos by Teagan Prigge and William Holzer. The CCHS Concert Band performed “In the Bleak Midwinter” by Gustav Holst, arranged by Robert W. Smith, and an arrangement of “Carol of the Bells” by Sean O’Loughlin. The band and CCHS Chorus then joined together and performed and sang several traditional holiday favorites, and the audience was encouraged to sing along.

The CCHS Concert Choir performed “Angels We Have Heard On High,” arranged by Alice Parker and Robert Shaw. The CCHS Orchestra performed “Ho Ho Hoe Down” by John Moss, “In the Company of Angels” by William Hofeldt and ‘Somewhere in My Memory” by John Williams and Leslie Bricusse, an arrangement by Larry Moore.

The orchestra and choir combined to perform John Rutter’s “Shepherd’s Pipe Carol” and “Christmas Lullaby” before all the singers and musicians closed the show with “Alma Mater,” and CCHS alumni were invited to join them.