Concerts

Last week was concert week:

On Tuesday was Minnie's intermediate band concert. They played some pieces by themselves and some with the beginning band. She has been meeting after school every Tuesday and Thursday since September. Both bands sounded great--especially considering how most of them just started an instrument a few short months ago. They take this band thing seriously in American Fork! It's fun to see the beginnings of AF High School's 2011-2014 marching and concert bands.


Minnie concentrates while playing her flute. (She's the one with the long blonde hair, black blouse, and red & black skirt.)

Thursday was Jumble's Wind Ensemble Concert. It is fun to go to concerts to hear your child play. It is even better to go when you know that you will be truly entertained and amazed. Jumble's concert was fabulous--you wouldn't believe these kids were in Jr. High. Her concert included the Advanced Jazz Band and the Symphonic Band (8th graders) as well as her group (which is mostly 9th graders.) All of the groups did a fantastic job. One of the pieces Jumble's group performed was an arrangement set to the words of "T'was the Night Before Christmas." They had someone narrate as they played. It was a really great piece. For example, when the narrator talked about "visions of sugar plums danced in their head," the band played an excerpt from the "Sugar Plum Fairy" in the Nutcracker Suite. When he talked about Santa and his sleigh on the roof, the band played an excerpt of "Up on the Housetop." When he talked about St. Nicolas appearing, the band played an excerpt of "Jolly Old St. Nicolas." They also did sound effects for Santa rising up the chimney and etc. It was very cute and enjoyable.

I couldn't get as close of a shot of Jumble, but she is close to the center of the photo.

Friday, Niles and I attended the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert. It was wonderful! We thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. I found the recitation of Longfellow's Christmas with the number "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" to be especially moving. I also really enjoyed their arrangement of Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring and the two pieces from the Hallelujah Chorus. Another great number was...oh well, I will end up listing the whole program here! It was all fabulous--so were the decorations and the ballet and the orchestra. I love the sound of an orchestra with a choir. It is the best! We attended the same night as President Monson and it was also the night they taped the performance to be rebroadcast on PBS next year. So if you catch the show next year on Christmas Eve on PBS (and you should, because it is well worth watching!!), you can hear Niles and I clapping with the audience!

This morning, Jet had his Christmas school program. Jet did a great job! He was smiling and singing and did all the actions right. He also said his part loud and clear. He got to do it three times because he had the first speaking part of the whole show and they started over twice because of microphone difficulties. I am going to see about getting him into the A.F. Children's Choir. He seems to really like singing and performing.

Good thing his ears were holding his hat on! It was too big for his little head and I kept wishing he would push it back so I could get a photo with his eyes visible.

This is after the show--I pushed his hat back so I could see his whole face.