The Central Voices, the Central Sound Concert Band, and the Central Piano Class held their winter concert on December 13, 2021 at Bayside Baptist Church.

“It was really great to be able to have our concert at the church because students could hear each other so much better than when we perform in the school gym.  It was also exciting not to be limited to thirty minute performing segments,” stated Katheron Latham, choir director and piano teacher.

Last year, HCS Covid-19 policies limited performing groups to performing on their school campuses.  They were also limited to performing for thirty minute segments, and they were required to wait twenty minutes before performing again.

The band performed A Christmas Concerto, composed by Robert Smith with solos by Erickson Frias-Cruz, Hannah Farmer, and Madelyn Little.  Students also performed several duets and trios. The band closed their portion of the concert with an arrangement of pieces from “The Polar Express” Christmas movie.

“The students were challenged to develop musical independence through the practice and performance of duets and trios.  The holiday concert was a culmination of all the hard work the students put forth during the semester.  The band students received many compliments from a variety of supporters about their holiday concert and they should be very proud of their accomplishments!” stated Joshua Singleton, Central’s band director.

During the transition to the choir portion of the concert, two CHS piano class students performed.  Cordelia Araiza and Isaiah Tory both performed piano solos.

The Central Voices performances were presented by several different ensembles: the Central Singers, Ladies Ensemble, Concert Choir, and Combined Choirs.  The Voices performed a variety of pieces. Selections included non-seasonal songs such as “Change”, originally performed by Charlie Puth and James Taylor, and “Battle of Jericho” a traditional spiritual.  The Voices also performed numbers in foreign languages, including “A la media noche,” a Puerto Rican Christmas carol and “Al Shlosha D’Varim”, a piece sung in Hebrew.  Holiday selections performed by the groups  included “Believe” from the Polar Express, “Holiday Road of Carols”, and “Mighty Good News.”  The concert ended with an exciting presentation of “Every Praise with Senior DeWayne Middleton singing a solo.

The Concert also provided an opportunity for choir and band students to learn important life lessons.

For Sophomore Mercades Murray, her time in choir meant growing a second family.  Fellow choir member, Layla O’Reilly, explained that although things were not always effortless, it was all worth it in the end.  She said that trading in the individual experience of being a singer for being a contributing choir member was something that she was proud to be a part of during this choir semester.

“[For] the future, it helped us to work as a team…we usually practically we are on our own by ourselves doing our own thing [Sopranos, Altos, Basses], but we learned to come together and not just do it together,” O’Reilly explained.

The choir band, and piano departments are all hopeful that they will continue to be able to provide live performances next semester.