By Emily Wery

It began as it does every year, with “Magical Night”. The streets are filled with lights and window displays, families bustling in and out of shops, and young children’s eyes filled with wonder and anticipation. Mount Vernon’s holiday season kicks off in style with this annual event. And on December 16th, this spirit of the season continued with the fine arts performances from our talented high school musicians.

The day began with the choir concerts, directed by Thad Wilkins. The Mixed Choir opened the performance with their first song, the ‘Three Kings’ by Matthew Armstrong, highlighting the Christmas theme. Followed by the Select Women’s Choir, joyfully performing the well known Hawaiian Christmas tune ‘Mele Kalikimaka’ arranged by Jay Althouse with choral dancing and festive Santa hats. The Concert Choir, brought depth to the concert as they took the stage. Each one of their pieces leaving an echo drifting into the audience. The concert then concluded with the Combined Choirs singing a variety of traditional holiday arrangements and other seasonal melodies that delighted the attentive audience.

After the concert and intermission, the Jazz Band, conducted by Scott Weber, set the mood for the second event by opening with a crowd favorite, A Charlie Brown Christmas. The song was followed by several energic jazzy tunes enjoyed by all. The orchestra then took the stage lead by Tabitha Rasmussen. This talented group entertained with several songs, concluding with a medley from The Polar Express, bringing the season to life for those of all ages.

Finally, the concert concluded the several songs from the Concert Band. Nestled among holiday favorites was a moving tribute to the Flight of Valor, honoring those lost and acts of bravery on 9/11. The concert ended with a new arrangement of Silent Night, entitled, ‘All is Calm’ by Robert W. Smith. This concert is a tradition for the Mount Vernon community, a gift from our talented youth to all.