Waseca middle grades give concert at high school

A band concert for students in grades five to eight was well attended the evening of Nov 24 at the performing arts center of the Waseca Junior Senior High School. Bands were directed by Anders Peterson for high school and Selma Kleinsmith for WIS.

 

For many of the students this large-scale concert was an exciting first-time event. Fifth-graders played the “First Winter Suite,” which included the movements “Season’s Sounding Fanfare,” and “Escaping the Abominable Snowman.” Their final number was “Roof Riffs.”

 

Each grade was to play three songs each, most of the music selected was voted on by the students themselves, a few were selected by the band directors. The sixth grade’s Christmas theme included “Up On A Housetop” and “Jolly Old St. Nick” arranged by Michael Sweeney and “Jingle Bells” by Michael Story.

 

The seventh-grade musicians chose Hollywood music. First was “Circle of Life” from the Lion King movie. Next was the Gravity Falls (Saturday morning cartoon) theme by Robert Longfield. The final song was “Oompa Loompa” from “Willy Wonka” by Chris Bernotas.

 

All four grades were able to perform their concert in under an hour. The eighth graders had a more mature selection of music starting with “Mamma Mia,” an Abba song. Next was “The Sound of Music” followed by a song from the musical “Grease.”

 

All musicians expressed their thanks to the school administration, the Waseca custodial staff, Chuck Pollack, the Waseca Band Boosters, the music department and the teaching staff.

There will be a choir concert for grades 5 to 8 on Dec. 8; a high school holiday choir concert on Dec. 15; and an Alumni Pep Band/Chili Feed on Dec. 19.