HOLLY POND – On Thursday evening the choir and band of Holly Pond High School put on their annual Christmas concert. The students, 85 choir members and 63 band members (with a few performing with both), gave entertaining performances.
The choir and ensemble, under director and Holly Pond Elementary School music teacher Melissa Roberts, performed several favorites:
- “The Little Drummer Boy”
- “The Christmas Shoes” – soloist Kalee Hughes
- “Silent Night Medley” (“Silent Night,” “Away in a Manger,” “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” – soloist Allie Smith)
- “Beautiful Star of Bethlehem” (Ensemble: Allie Smith, Tanner Duke, Dawson Faust, Trevor Shoemaker,
- Gracie Thomas, Presley Marks, Abrey Norman)
- “That's Christmas to Me” – soloists Jonna Christie and Leah Tarvin
At the conclusion of the choir portion, members presented Roberts with Christmas gifts.
The band, under director Luette Benefield, performed a mix of new pieces and long-standing band member favorites:
- “Fanfare on Hark the Herald Angels Sing”
- “Sleigh Ride”
- “Silent Night”
- “African Bell Carol”
- “The Polar Express”
- “We Wish you a Merry Christmas”
At the conclusion of the band performance, band seniors came forward to present gifts to Benefield.
For Benefield, this is the 25th Christmas concert in Holly Pond, and she seems to be planning on at least a few more. She's proud of her students, saying, "They work hard every day; they really do understand what we're trying to accomplish."
To conclude the evening, former Holly Pond music teacher Polly Easterwood came forward and made a few remarks. She noted that she first came to HPHS 62 years ago, and that she taught the parents and even some grandparents of the kids performing Thursday evening.
"This is wonderful," she said. "I love to come back every year. I just thank God I can be back another year- 85 years old is pretty old! I never thought I'd be 85; let's just hope I can be 86!"
Easterwood concluded the evening's activities by leading the entire assembly in “Silent Night.”
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