Winter Concerts Spread Cheer Districtwide

Kicking off the holiday season with 10 concerts, there has been plenty of cheer throughout District 401 this year!

Starting off the winter concert series was Elmwood Elementary, with their show taking place on Dec. 9 in the EPHS gymnasium. First and second graders, along with choir members, attended to perform some holiday classics. This show, entitled “A December to Remember,” was led and directed by Elmwood music teacher Meredith Dabbs. All dressed to impress, the kids were thrilled to gather around and sing favorites like “Frosty the Snowman.” When it was time for the show’s end, kids were heard saying things like “It’s over?! That was awesome!”

ELMWOOD 1ST GRADE GALLERY ELMWOOD 2ND GRADE GALLERY

The Elm Middle School concerts were held the next day in their gymnasium. The choir, led by choral director Mike Popplewell, performed first. 6th, 7th, and 8th graders all showed off their best voices. One extra magical part of the night included the 8th graders’ 4-minute medley of songs about angels, as well as performing the Pentatonix song “White Winter Hymnal” that included some complex hand motions!

Elm Middle School Choir performs under Director Mike Popplewell

ELM CHOIR GALLERY

Once the choir finished, the band started. Directed by Stephen Hawk, the 6th, 7th and 8th grade bands worked tirelessly in previous weeks to ensure that their performance was cohesive. Demonstrating focus and passion, each band member delivered an excellent performance.  Mr. Hawk said, “Hearing all 3 bands play at the same time was amazing! I'm proud of our band players for preparing and performing such a beautiful concert.”

ELM BAND GALLERY

The next few shows both took place on Dec. 11. John Mills started off with their first and second graders performing under the direction of music teacher Sarah Jedwabnik. The theme for the first grade show was “Winter Wonderland” while the second grade explored winter celebrations all across the world! The kids at both shows sang enthusiastically for the audience. With students providing everything—singing, dancing, narration, instrumental accompaniment, and even artwork—the show was truly remarkable.

John Mills 2nd grade students have fun with props during their performance

JOHN MILLS 1ST GRADE GALLERY JOHN MILLS 2ND GRADE GALLERY

That same night, EPHS hosted their own concert for choir members in the auditorium! This show was led by Grant McEachern, EPHS choir director and music teacher. The Chorale, Concert Choir, and Swing Choirs all impressed the audience—leaving songs stuck in the heads of guests later that night. A few parents of long-time choir members even noted that it was their favorite performance yet. A standout moment from this night was the Swing Choir's performance of “Caritas Abundat” by Michael John Trotta. For that song, the twelve singers were joined by senior percussionist Anthony Zenner and by a guest violinist Damaris Benzar. Fun fact about Damaris—she was in EPHS choir her freshmen year before moving to another school! She’s now a senior, and what better way to cap off her high school experience than with a guest appearance where it all started!

EPHS CHOIR GALLERY

The final week of winter shows included a delightful concert by both the EPHS Jazz and Concert bands. The jazz band performed some fun favorites like “White Christmas,” making the night feel extra groovy! Band director and music teacher Kyle Rhoades was happy with the performances, stating “The students were focused and reasonably prepared, and they definitely showed improvement in the past couple weeks.”

EPHS Jazz Band performs holiday classics

EPHS JAZZ BAND GALLERY EPHS CONCERT BAND GALLERY

The very last concert of the stretch was the John Mills choir on Dec. 18, under the direction of Sarah Jedwabnik and music teacher Ann Udell. The choir featured a larger group than ever before, singing 4 different songs. The students love a challenge, so one of the songs was sung in a 3-part round, while another was sung partly in Latin!

JOHN MILLS CHOIR GALLERY

Amazing work to all the students who participated in our winter concerts this year! We’re lucky to have such a talented group sharing their hard work and holiday spirit with our community. Happy Holidays!