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lockportlegend.com life & arts
the Lockport Legend | December 13, 2018 | 17
Sounds of the season delight at LTHS Holiday Band Concert
Laurie Fanelli
Freelance Reporter
Music lovers heard those
sleigh bells jingle-ing, ringting
tingle-ing, too, at the
Lockport Township High
School East Campus auditorium
on Thursday, Dec.
6, during the Holiday Band
Concert.
The comprehensive program
— featuring Concert
Band A and Concert Band
B, both led by Associate
Director of Bands Andrew
Beckwith, and the LTHS
Wind Symphony, led by Director
of Bands Brian Covey
— celebrated the sounds of
the season with such festive
favorites as “All I Want for
Christmas Is You” (Concert
Band B) and “Feliz Navidad”
(Concert Band A).
There was something for
fans of all musical genres to
enjoy at the concert.
“Literature is selected to
expose our students and audience
to a wide breadth of
musical genres,” Covey explained.
“Included in these
genres is the pop genre, so
each ensemble will perform
at least one selection in the
holiday fashion. This year,
the Wind Symphony will
be performing two holiday
selections, concluding with
Leroy Anderson’s ‘Sleigh
Ride,’ which has concluded
our concerts for the past
eight years.”
Anderson’s light and
bouncy composition is always
a treat for audience
members, but it’s even more
fun to play, explained senior
clarinetist Alyson Matushek.
“It’s just so fun to play because
we [the clarinets] have
the melody, and it’s so fun
to be in it and play it instead
of just listening to it,” Matushek
said. “And, it’s fun
because we’re allowed to put
Santa hats on and be really
festive for the holidays.”
Senior Joey Cryer — who
plays the trombone — counts
the Holiday Band Concert
as one of his favorites every
year. At last Thursday
night’s event, he was especially
looking forward to
narrating the Wind Symphony’s
performance of “The
Night Before Christmas,”
during which he donned a
festive robe over his suit
while reciting the tale of St.
Nick, his miniature sleigh
and eight tiny reindeer.
“The Holiday Concert is
a favorite around here because
usually we do more
formal events, and this is
a time to cut loose,” Cryer
said. “It’s a great community
of kids. I haven’t really been
in any other groups where
people are so close together
and people work so hard to
achieve something and put
something like this together.”
Penelope Simon and Alison
Reum — both of whom
have children in the band
program — love watching
the individual musicians
come together in camaraderie
as a “band family” to create
something special.
“Just the fact of knowing
that my daughters can make
such beautiful music out of
a piece of metal blows my
mind,” Simon said. “I get so
much joy out of seeing them
translate into something so
beautiful. It gets me every
time.”
Much like the musicians,
Reum appreciates how the
Holiday Concert showcases
the talents of the members
of the band program, while
also highlighting their holiday
cheer.
“The serious pieces are
beautiful,” Reum said.
“They will always have a
piece that will get you in the
heartstrings, and then when
they’re having fun, you get
to enjoy that, too. They take
Concert Band A stands for a round of applause after performing “Feliz Navidad” during the Holiday Band Concert on Thursday,
Dec. 6, at the Lockport Township High School East Campus auditorium. Photos by Laurie Fanelli/22nd Century Media
their music seriously, but
they don’t take themselves
so seriously.”
Earlier in the week, on
Dec. 4, the two LTHS Freshman
Bands and the LTHS
Symphonic Band performed
a concert featuring such
pieces as “Holiday Carol
Collage,” “Christmas at the
Movies” and “Winter on
Emerald Bay.” Students in
each of the ensembles across
both performance nights prepared
with group rehearsals
and individual practice for
approximately two months
to bring the music to life.
Covey noted that the
band program would like to
“thank the community for
their continued support of
our students.”
“Our concerts are a wonderful
place that family and
friends come together to
support and enjoy each other’s
company,” Covey said.
“There is no competition or
Senior Jacqueline Ryan, of Lockport, and Junior Hannah Compton, of Homer Glen, decorate
their euphoniums at the Holiday Band Concert.
judgement; instead, it’s a
wonderful place to come and
share an evening with others.”
The next formal concert
will be held at the East Campus
auditorium on Feb. 12
and 14. Like all LTHS Band
concerts, admission is free,
and more information can
be found at www.lockport
bands.org.