Photo Credit: Mia Maxwell. A poster for the band concert.[/caption]December 16, from 7 pm to about 9 pm, the OHS band had their own Christmas concert. Parents, students, and faculty came to the auditorium to celebrate the success of the band community while listening to favorite holiday tunes.
The concert featured all band levels with the band director, Andy Carter, leading the kids. The band members wore their pajamas to add to the festive element. All children who wore pajamas got into the concert for a discounted price. Audience member Sharon Sparrow said, “The concert was really nice. The pajamas made it really cozy to me.”
Jazz band’s “Holiday Joy” was an spinoff of Ludwig Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy”. It featured trumpet player Alejandro Munoz and drummer Colin Moore. Also, the concert band played a piece called “Yes Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus.” The song told the story of eight-year-old Virginia who was reluctant to believe in Santa because of her friends telling her he isn’t real. So she wrote a letter to an editor about Santa. This was performed by clarinet player Morgan McCallum as Virginia and Joseph Piscitelli as the editor.
After more traditional holiday songs played to the crowd’s pleasure, all band members came together to play “The Ultimate Christmas Sing-Along.” The crowd loved the song and joined in to sing all of their favorite holiday songs from movies and radio. “The sing-along was the best part. I liked being involved with what they were playing,” said student Samantha Negrin.
The concert was presented by not only the high school band, but also the OHS PTSO to support their Holiday Giving Project which raises money to go to buying necessities, gifts, and food for those with financial need.
C. A. Cabaniss said, “I would rather go out to eat because I am at the stage of my life after I always cooked.” Her tradition has been going on for eight years. She did not plan this tradition out it just happened one year and she enjoyed it. Cabaniss and her husband will be going on a trip to Cherokee, NC to spend their time watching entertainers and singers at the Indian reservation for Thanksgiving.
Jodi Riley thoroughly enjoys the Thanksgiving holiday. Riley said, “It a very nice tradition to see people happy.”At their thanksgiving they have a grand get-together where people from all over the country can come to celebrate with their family. People from New York, Wisconsin, Vermont, and Massachusetts have come to this get-together. This thanksgiving, Riley is going to host two elderly people with her husband and his friends this year. They will cook and prepare the festivities so that the guests can have a worry-free holiday. Riley and her husband plan on making extra food for the guests to take home with them. This tradition has been going on for about 10 years. Riley said “I am really used to this tradition because my husband was in the military and we didn't have family. So, we made dinner with the people that lived around us”
Students dressed up on Halloween night and sent in their pictures using the hashtag #OHS50 via Twitter and Instagram.Thank you to everyone who sent in pictures!
The jazz band performed holiday hits such as "Dashing through the Snow," "It's the Holiday Season," "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch," and "Jingle Bell Boogie." Concert band performed "A Christmas Auld Lang Syne," "Hannukah," "Festival of Lights," "Fanfare on an Old French Carol," "Feliz Navidad," and a narrated version of "T'was the Night Before Christmas," which was a hit with the audience.
The celebration of New Year’s Day is different for every single person around the globe. Some people go to New York City to watch the ball drop. Others just throw parties or possibly do nothing. New Year’s Day has always been seen as a chance to start over and do something different with one's life.
For about four millennia, people have tried to get their life in order and create new goals for themselves. The earliest "party" on New Year’s Day was recorded 4,000 years ago by the Babylonians. The party was on a day in late March when a new moon arrived and the day had the same amount of sunlight and darkness. This told the start of a new year. The Babylonians held a massive religious festival called Akitu, which lasted 11 days. During the festival, they talked about everything important to them and their religion.
Today, however, New Year's Eve has turned into one of the most anticipated party seasons of the year. Just remember to be safe and responsible while celebrating the start of the new year!
Kwanzaa was established by Maulana Kernga, the co-founder of the Black Nationalist and Social Change Organization, in order to revive and reestablish African culture. Kwanzaa originated in America, but many people in African countries have adopted it as well. The name is derived from the Swahili phrase, "Matunda ya kawnzaa" which means, "First fruits of the harvest."
This holiday is celebrated from December 26 through January 1 with feasts, traditional African garbs, decorations, music, and a special candle lighting ceremony each day.
Each of the seven days of Kwanzaa represent one of seven core principals: unity, responsibility, self determination, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith. For each of these, one candle is lit. Similar to a menorah, a candle holder called a kinara is used.
Three of the candles are red, three more are green, and the final candle in the center is black. The red to the left side symbolizes
ancestry and the past. The black candle is for pride of being African and the present. Finally, the green on the right is for the
hope and dreams of the future.
Kwanzaa lasts only a single week, but the intention is for the principles to echo throughout the rest of the year in all of
the peoples lives.
The Beginning Choir started off the festivities with an upbeat rendition of “Bidi Bom.” It was followed by “Rudolph the Red-Nosed
Reindeer,” in which props were used. Everyone donned reindeer antlers or Santa hats. There were very cute hijinks by Matt Lewis and Montee Mitchell, who were the soloists.The Concert Choir took the stage next, looking very professional in black and white. “Light the Candles of Freedom” is a very heartwarming song that was followed by a timeless favorite, “Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!”
Madrigal singers continued the concert. “Ule Lume Lagedala” is a tongue-twisting Estonian song that invites the listeners to join the singers on a sleigh ride.
“Ose Shalom” is a harmonic and reverent prayer for peace in Hebrew. “What Child is This?” was acapella and haunting.
“Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” was stunning, the colorful effects by Nathan Tilley and Jay Huskins were great. Set up like a dramatic play or ballet, the boys puppeted the women as they harmonized.
“Born, Born in Bethlehem,” sung by the men of the Concert Choir with soloist Austin Prebula, reminded me of the smooth tone of Elvis.“Jingle Bell Rock” was a swinging and rocking song sung by the Beginning Men.
“Baby It’s Cold Outside” was an interesting tale sung and acted by Grace Huskins and Caleb Tolin that took a sudden twist. It began the regular way where the man entreats the woman to stay but the tables became flipped when she began to harass him.
“Jing-a-Ling, Jing-a-Ling” was a crowd favorite. Benjamin Peckman, Huskins, and Scott were naughty and were dragged to the stage tobe turned nice. Tinsel and bows and coal were draped over the men while the bouncy and amusing Madrigal women sang to them.Terrance Morrow serenaded the audience with “This Christmas” using a sky high falsetto, accompanied by Thane Morrow on piano and Marquiese Morrow on the drums.
“Twelve (...or so...?) Days of Christmas” was hilarious. The Madrigal men confused themselves and the audience when they combined a couple of Christmas and Hanukkah classics.
All groups joined together to sing the last four songs, celebrating the closeness the holidays bring. “Carol of the Bells” was an a capella masterpiece, “Jazzy Old Saint Nick” had a cute twist on an old favorite, and “Let There Be Peace on Earth” contained a beautiful message sung by soloist Anjalisa Cates. Everyone was invited to sing along at the end of “Christmas Wish,” a beautiful end to a beautiful concert.