By CATHERINE ELLERTON
Moapa Valley Progress
Kudos to Perkins Music Director Vince Dasal for leading an entertaining and inspiring concert on December 19 at the Ron Dalley Theatre in Logandale. He brought together the K through 5th grade students of Ute Perkins Elementary School to celebrate “Christmas Happiness and Wonder.”
The program was held in a festively decorated auditorium and stage in front of a breathtaking Winter Wonderland backdrop. The Patriot Rockers opened the program with an interpretive dance which included acrobatics and streamers to the music “Greatest Time of The Year.”
Dasal not only introduced these young musicians to traditional Christmas music but he provided them the opportunity to use Tone Chimes To “Angels We Have Heard On High” and Boomwhackers which are varied length and size hollow plastic sticks which when hit against the floor emit a tonal quality. The Boomwhackers group played an interesting “The First Noel.”
The Music Director also presented the opportunity to the choirs to learn music from different countries and musical periods.
A large choir made up of K-2nd graders graders sang “Christmas Star”, an arrangement by Mark Brymer; and “Pat-A-Pan” a traditional French Carol.
The 2nd, 4th and 5th grade Girls Choir sang a lovely “On A Peaceful Winter’s Night” by John Purifoy and a fun arrangement by Foncannon of J. S. Bach’s “Fugue in G Minor” titled “Cold and Fugue Season.” These young musicians then had the opportunity to explore Hebraic Folk Music when they presented “Hanukkah Nagilah” with four dancers dancing the traditional dance.
Shanaya Romero and Aleesia Huerta then presented an interesting lip synching interpretation of “Sing” from the Broadway Musical “Chorus Line.”
Leroy Anderson’s “Sleigh Ride” in an arrangement by Andy Beck was sung by the 3rd, 4th and 5th grade choir. These young singers continued to explore interesting counter-melodies and sleigh bells added to the joy of the music. This group then took on a traditional French Carol “He Is Born” and added drums to the arrangement by Gilpin.
Dasal ended the program by combining all the choirs K through 5th grades in two delightful numbers: “Christmas Chopsticks” arranged by Snyder with a Santa Dancer and “Silent Night” by Franz Gruber.
Keeping this intriguing and energetic production together were Masters of Ceremony, Valeri Morgan and Mike Jack, who presented Info-mercials between numbers.
The standing-room-only audience learned of School Calendars, sang Happy Birthday to several audience members and took on the Duck Dynasty Duck calls. Unfortunately, they were upstaged by a “camel” that would cleverly wander the stage for one reason or the other throughout the breaks.
There were many Perkins teachers and staff and family members involved in making this production the success it was.
