Christmas Concert

And so the day finally arrived.  Tuesday, December 11th; the night of the Christmas concert.  A month's worth of planning & preparation would be put to the test in front of parents, teachers, students, and guests.  I'm pretty sure I was more jittery than normal during the regular school day.  The impending performance was all I could think about.  My mind was filled with many different scenarios: good & bad.  In the end, I just hoped Murphy wouldn't be there to implement his most famous Law: "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong."

I stayed after school to oversee the final preparations.  Rows of chairs had already been set up in the main foyer, facing the newly renovated stage.  On stage, there were two microphones, a piano, and a brightly lit Christmas tree surrounded by presents.  I helped my junior percussionists carry down the marimba, drum set, and many music stands to the stage.  My musicians would use the cafeteria chairs as seating.  As the remaining hours ticked away, I kept myself occupied by playing the piano on stage, preparing what to say to the audience, and making sure the concert programs were at the front entrance. 

            

My students began arriving forty-five minutes before 7pm, eager to put on a great show.  Their eagerness was opposite to my worry & pacing.  (It's a habit I need to kick).  As instructed, they arrived in casual dress.  I was surprised but impressed to see some in more formal attire.  I also greeted members of the Iqaluit Community Choir who had graciously accepted my request for them to perform.  In the final minutes before 7pm, I instructed everyone to take a deep breath before we headed down to the main foyer.  It was now or never.

            

Getting up on stage and speaking in front of an audience is still a challenge for me, though not as stressful as before.  I didn't like public speaking in elementary & middle school, but it got easier in high school thanks to army cadets.  Despite my efforts, the foyer wasn't packed, but at least there was an audience.  After welcoming everyone, the concert began with my Grade 10 guitarists playing three classic Christmas tunes: 'Good King Wenceslas', 'Joy To The World', and 'Jingle Bells'.   Johnny Mark, a senior student, took to the stage after them to read a Christmas poem he recently wrote.

            

Next to perform was the Iqaluit Community Choir, led by Eva Paul & Peter Workman.  Eva conducted while Peter accompanied on the piano.  For their set, they sang three hymns: 'Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring', 'We Wish You A Merry Christmas', and 'Silent Night'.

            

After the choir received the audience's applause, my junior & senior musicians took several minutes to set up the stage for their performance.  When we were all set, we began our set with the classic Christmas fairytale, "'Twas the Night Before Christmas."  Since I would be preoccupied with conducting, I had Emilia Nevin, a senior student, act as the narrator.  We then moved on to 'Merry Christmas Mr. Handel', a medley that combines Handel's "Joy to the World" and the "Hallelujah Chorus" from his oratorio Messiah.  Our third selection was 'Bell Carol Rock,' a rock arrangement of Mykola Leontovych's famous Christmas carol, "Carol of the Bells (Ukrainian Bell Carol)."  He based his song on a Ukrainian folk song called "Shchedryk."

            

My band students were given a chance to rest in the middle of their performance by listening to one of my piano students, Kara Ashley, play 'Souvenir D'enfance' by Paul de Senneville.  The easy listening piece was made famous by French pianist Richard Clayderman.

            

Continuing the easy listening mood, my band students continued their performance with the tune 'A Christmas Canon,' a fusion of Pachelbel's "Canon in D Major" and the English carol "The First Noel."  We then performed an upbeat compilation piece titled, 'A Cartoon Christmas', featuring: "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer", "Christmas Time Is Here", and "Frosty the Snowman."  We ended the concert with the ever popular 'Jingle Bell Rock' by Joel Beal & Jim Boothe.

            

For my closing remarks, I thanked everyone for attending and wished them a safe Christmas & a Happy New Year.  But not before leading them in giving a final round of applause to all the performers.  They deserved it for a job well done.

            

Despite the few mistakes that were made, the Christmas concert was a success in my mind.    Several parents said the same thing and congratulated me for putting on a good show with my students.  Yes, it could have been better, but taking into account that my juniors had just started playing in August and only had a month to learn six pieces (which they did) is quite an achievement.  (They would have had more time if I chose not to include them in the Halloween concert, but that would have been cruel).  As for me, I just need to improve on getting the word out.  I thought making several morning announcements would get the message across but I guess many did not hear them.  Next time, I'll phone CBC Radio.