Elementary and high school students throughout Leelanau County have been practicing for the last several months to showcase their musical talents in holiday concerts starting this week.
GLEN LAKE
Rob Stow, Glen Lake performing arts coordinator and choir director, is leading the upper elementary general music and secondary choirs, while Jeremy Evans, who heads the elementary and middle school performing arts, is leading the preschool through third grade general music this season. The general and vocal music concert performed by lower elementary students is set for Dec. 13 at 6:30 p.m., and the upper elementary will perform right after at 7:15 p.m. Over 300 elementary students total will participate in musical shows, and the middle and high school choirs will be singing carols in the lobby. The Glen Lake Band and the newly formed jazz band under the direction of Eli George will present their concert on Dec. 14 at 7 p.m.
Stow said elementary students have been practicing the skills needed for this performance all year, and specifically working on their songs for the last month or so. Band middle school students have also been working on their music since the start of the school year, with high schoolers starting since the end of marching band season. In addition, the district’s new jazz band program has been building skills for their performance since the beginning of the year, too.
“The winter concert showcases a huge variety of music — some are holiday songs, some are silly songs, some are meant to show off skills with instruments, some are intended to work on expressive movement or body coordination,” Stow said. “It’s a huge variety of musical art — and our community will see visual art presented digitally on screen before and afterwards and during transitions, thanks to our amazing art teacher, Leah Lawson. The same presentation will include work from marvelous Mr. Havill, our explorers teacher, and physical education demonstrations by our remarkable Rich Ruelas. At the band concert, there is also a wide variety. Some holiday songs, and some songs that are working on specifi c skills needed to make our Lakers sound the best they can.”
Coordinating a winter concert with hundreds of students this season has been an all hands on deck sort of situation. The classroom teachers and aids are helping the students coordinate when and where they are supposed to be, Stow explained, and because the auditeria doesn’t fit the students and the families at the same time, they will have students stay in the classrooms and come down when it is their time to perform.
“Mr. Schrock and Ms. Street, our principal and administrative assistant, have been planning this with me since last spring. When Mr. Evans came on board this fall, we were able to work together to make sure we were building on the skills for each grade level and creating a program that is fun and educational,” Stow said. “We have to thank the community and the school board for the commitment to the arts at Glen Lake. To have three full time performing arts educators demonstrates how important this part of our students’ education is.”
LELAND
The theme for Leland Public School’s winter concert this year is “Christmas Around the World.” Kindergarten through second graders as well as the honors choir are set to perform later in the month on Dec. 20 at 6 p.m. in Leland’s Performing Arts Center.
Mary Newman, Leland theater and music director, said the concert will start in a formal fashion with the Honors Choir singing some very classic and traditional carols including a Hanukkah melody “Ma’oz Tzur,” an Austrian carol called “Still, Still, Still,” a French carol “Bring a Torch Jeanette Isabella,” a Russian carol “Babuska Lullaby,” and finally, “Carol of the Bells,” a Ukrainian carol.
“The littles will then enter decked in their Christmas PJ’s, which the audience is also encouraged to wear!” Newman said. “Some of the songs by the littles will be: The Dreidel Song, I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas, If You Like Winter Weather, and a song in Spanish. As they are singing, the Honors Choir will come back on stage in their PJ’s.”
The Honors choir, which consists of grades 8-12, will then sing “Twas the Night Before Christmas” based off of the poem by Clement Clarke Moore. A special appearance by “the big guy with the white beard” is also set, and the concert will end with an audience sing-along of four classic carols.
NORTHPORT
Northport Public School’s winter concert, in which all elementary and middle school students participate as well as a few high schoolers, is set for next Wednesday, Dec. 13 at 6 p.m. at the district’s school auditorium. The beginning band, consisting of students that have been playing their instruments since the middle of September, will perform first and close with a few holiday tunes. Ava Rice, a senior, will play a piano solo following the first performance, then the advanced band, consisting of 7-10th graders, will take the stage.
The advanced band plans to present a variety of tunes including a march, a few holiday tunes, and “a couple other surprises that will certainly please the audience,” describes music education director Carrie Wadas. When the bands finish performing, elementary students will take turns by grade performing festive songs for the audience.
“Our music department is growing in leaps and bounds,” Wadas said. “We have 30 members in the bands. We are so fortunate that the board of education, the administration, the staff, and the parents recognize all of the critical growth and learning experiences that are taught and gained for all of our music students through a wellestablished, comprehensive, music education program at Northport School.”
SUTTONS BAY
Suttons Bay Public School’s will perform two winter concerts this season, with the first show being the elementary music and 5th grade band concert next week Wednesday, Dec. 13 at 6 p.m. in the high school auditorium. The middle and high school choir and band concert is scheduled for Dec. 15, where band students will perform a collection of holiday songs and other music they’ve been working on this semester. The concerts are free, however, audience members have the option to donate to the arts program.
Along with music, there will also be an art showcase on both nights in the high school lobby featuring work from Suttons Bay art students. The elementary art is going to be themed around winter, with other artwork on display from middle, high school and art club students.
“The elementary students (throughgrade3) willbesinging holiday music as well, with a surprise visit from the Grinch,” said elementary music and choir teacher Elizabeth Richards. “We also have a few holiday tunes played on ukuleles by our 4th graders. Suttons Bay Singers (choir) will be singing holiday music as well. We will also have a solo, ‘Somewhere over the Rainbow,’ from our spring musical Wizard of Oz sung by ‘Dorothy,’ Isabelle Plamondon.”
LAKE LEELANAU ST. MARYS
Lake Leelanau St. Mary’s will hold their Advent Christmas Concert and Reflections on Wednesday, Dec. 20 at 6:30 p.m. at St. Mary Church. The school’s music department will perform Christmas music, while in between songs, advent reflections will be read by students.
