The Last "Christmas Concert"

Last night I took my seat in the Fairport High School Auditorium for the last holiday concert one of my children will ever perform in, and it was a sad moment. As I listened to the groups before Caroline's, I thought back to every Christmas "concert" the kids had ever performed in going right back to their kindergarten performances. You haven't experienced the true joy of the holiday season until you've seen a multitude of five-year-olds "singing" to "Up on the Rooftop" all the while looking to teachers for word cues. The cutest thing ever.

Each year the choirs and bands/orchestras got better and better. There were a few clunkers in each concert, but that adds to the charm. Last night had some real high points - especially for me. The boys choir performed that Clyde McPhatter and the Drifters version of White Christmas that I find so much fun. And, I love the a cappella choir that my daughter has been in the last few years, and they did not disappoint - three really fun songs, done very well, including one with kazoos. It's not Christmas without kazoos, right? The Polyphonic Choir and the FHS Orchestra performed Shubert's Mass No. 2 in G Major. It was quite lovely and intricate and very well done. The Hallelujah Chorus was great--all alumni, teachers and anyone else who wanted to were invited up to sing along. It looked like many of the folks who went bravely forth had not performed that tune in many years. But somehow it was absolutely beautiful.

I'm going to try very hard to make it to the annual jazz holiday concert that the FHS jazz band, directed by Bill Tiberio, puts on during the last day of classes before Christmas break. The kids work so hard to fill the auditorium with lights and decorations - it always looks fantastic and very Christmas-y, and the musicians are totally into the fun of the performance. It's fabulous! Hopefully, I'll be able to break away from work for a bit that day to enjoy it since this is my baby's last year there. Sniffle.

Also, the 12th of December is the Bill Welch Band's "Love Was Born" Christmas concert at the Downtown United Presbyterian Church at 7:30. Don't miss it.

yours in music,
Tracy