Most of the audience seats were filled on Dec. 15 in the Bayfield High School Performing Arts Center for the winter concert by the BHS choirs, jazz band and concert band conducted by band and choir teacher Derek Smith.
Smith likes to give his students challenging material. They handled it well, and the audience showed their enthusiastic appreciation.
The combined concert and select choirs began the program with an African call to prayer with African rhythms on percussion.
It opened with a lone singer on stage and other choir members scattered in the audience singing responses before they all moved onto the stage.
Their program included an expanded version of Silent Night and finished with Hallelujah by singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen, who died recently.
In between each performing group was a frenzy of activity on stage with the performers moving chairs, music stands, drums, pianos and the like, as well as the tall sound boards, setting them up for the next group.
The Outlier jazz band continued with several melodies. They honored David Bowie, who died early in 2016, by performing his Space Oddity. Select choir members joined in to perform Sleigh Ride.
The concert band had the third part of the program. The full choir joined them on stage for the impressive finale and seasonal favorite, Handel's Hallelujah Chorus from Messiah.
Smith took the opportunity to tout the broad academic benefits of kids learning and performing music. BHS has 77 students participating in music this year. Smith gave kudos to his colleagues who provide the music education in earlier grades - John Patton, Rachel Phelps, Martha McCabe, and the Be FRANK Foundation's Lech Usinowicz and Bill LaShell. He also thanked parents for supporting their music students and enduring the home practices of beginner students.
The Bayfield Association for the Advancement of Music (BAAM) boosters group also supports the music program in many ways.
