Christmas and music are in the air at Jasper Place High School
By Kjell Wickstrom
JASPER PLACE — Christmas is back at Jasper Place High School.
The music program at Jasper Place High School is getting ready for its annual Christmas concerts on Dec. 1, Dec. 20 and Dec. 21.
Concert poster for Jasper Place High School's 'Tis the Season, series of concerts for 2011. Provided by Jasper Place High School.
In keeping with the holiday spirit, the concerts will also be asking for donations to World Vision, to support people in need around the world.
“Our goal is to raise $1,500,” said Chris Postle, a music teacher at Jasper Place. “But I hope we can do way more.”
“At this time of year we’d like to give back,” said Postle. “Through our concerts we can raise awareness and money.”
Each concert will showcase a different part of Jasper Place’s music program. The concert band, choir, jazz band and glee club, which was started last year, will be performing at the Dec. 1 concert.
They will be performing a mixture of Christmas, classical and popular music. The concert band in particular will be playing Sleigh Ride, and the choir will be doing a rendition of The Nutcracker.
“This is a way to celebrate the end of the semester and showcase our students,” said Melissa Yong, another music teacher at the school. “The students really enjoy it.”
The glee club in particular has been quite popular, and students and teachers alike are looking forward to hearing what they have been working on. Yong thinks the TV show Glee might account for the interest.
The concerts on Dec. 20 and Dec. 21 will showcase the school’s guitar program. The concerts will be showing off what the students have learned with both classical and rock music, said Postle.
“When we play our tunes it is full-on arrangements with drums, bass and vocals,” said Postle.
One such arrangements will be a version of the Beatles’ Yesterday.
“The (pieces) that satisfy me the most are the ensembles, with four or five guitar parts going at the same time” said Postle. “Kind of like a little guitar choir.”
The school will hold more concerts to showcase the music program in the spring. The same concert, choir and jazz bands will perform, but they will be able to show off a new crop of guitarists.
The concerts have free admission and only ask for a donation to World Vision.
Jasper Place isn’t the only school putting together celebrations for the end of the semester and Christmas. Here’s a list of some other dates for Christmas events from around the west end:
- Inglewood School: Christmas Family Night, Dec. 14
- Meadowlark Christian School: Christmas Musical rehearsals, Dec. 13 and 14
- Parkview School: Junior High band concert, Dec. 6; Elementary Christmas concert, Dec. 15
- Grovenor School: Christmas concert, Dec. 15 at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.
- Rio Terrace School: German Adventabend Concert, Dec. 9 at 6:30 p.m.; Kindergarten Christmas concert, Dec. 11 at 2 p.m.; Grade 1-6 Christmas Concert, Dec. 19 at 6:30 p.m.
- Westmount School: Christmas celebration, Dec. 22
If you would like your school’s Christmas concert added to the list, contact West Edmonton Local at the email address below.
