Johnston High School celebrates holiday with band concert

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Around noon on Tuesday, the smooth sounds of music filled the air inside Johnston High School’s auditorium as students made last minute preparations for tonight’s winter concert.  

“I’m really excited for this performance,” Ronald Lamoureua, who chairs the JHS Music Department. “This group of [student] musicians enjoyed consistent improvement over the past several years, and everyone’s energy level is at an all time high.”

Lamoureux is the special guest conductor of the Concert Chorus for their songs “The Twelve Songs of Christmas” with “Peace, Peace” and John Legend’s “If You’re Out There.” The latter, along with “The Little Drummer Boy,” were arranged by Matthew Gingras, the first-year music teacher who is making his debut at the concert.

Lovers of Christmas music and singing are sure to enjoy tonight’s JHS Winter Concert, according to School Superintendent Dr. Bernard DiLullo. Tickets are only $5 per person.    

The JHS auditorium doors will open at 6:30 with music by the Concert Chorus as well as the Select Choir that will also be under the direction by Gingras. That portion of the program will feature “White Winter Hymnal,” “O Vo Omnes,” “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker ballet and “Mary, Did you Know.”

A special feature of the winter concert will be the debut of 13 students who are part of the band and choruses and recently landed a record-setting JHS total of 13 spots for the Rhode Island Music Education Association (RIMEA) All-State Ensembles that will be held at The Vets in Providence in March 2017. The JHS musicians and vocalists will be backed by a technical staff that will set up the band – in just a few minutes – once the Concert Chorus completes their numbers.

“Our crew has all the pieces labeled backstage for the band set-up, so it is going be done in the blink of an eye,” said Lamoureux. “We understand no one wants to sit for an extended period of time watching a stage crew.”

Lamoureux and Gringas will each direct several numbers with the JHS band, including Robert W. Smith’s “Into the Storm,” which Lamoureux said “many kids have been asking to play for a few years and their energy level is high for the dramatic arrangement.”

Other numbers include “Bashana Haba Ab” and “A Christmas Festival,” which has closed the program ever since Lamoureux arrived at JHS as music director 21 years ago.

Gringas said, “I’m excited for my first winter concert and I’m still marveling at the ability of the choral groups to improve so much during these past few weeks.”

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  • PantherMom

    Great job!

    Friday, December 9, 2016 Report this