By VERNON ROBISON
Moapa Valley Progress
The music department at Moapa Valley High School presented a special holiday concert on Monday, December 14 in the Ron Dalley Theatre. The concert featured the five ensembles in the school’s instrumental music program. All groups were conducted by MVHS Music director Kim Delgadillo.
The concert began with a series of holiday tunes performed by the intermediate band. Featured in the selection were trumpet solos by Sierra Harding and Sara Udall.
The Advanced Band then started its set with “Joyful All Ye Nations” which included a tuba solo by Austin Belcher and cast a featured light on flutists Sariah Hardy, Josie Delgadillo and McKenna Overton. This group then concluded with “Un Flambeau Jeanette, Isabelle” and “Ukrainian Bell Carol.”
Next, the MVHS Orchestra took the stage beginning with themes from “The Nutcracker” and “The Glory of Christmas.” The group ended its performance with a clever mingling of Christmas music with well-known classical symphonic works in “Santa at the Symphony.” This featured a violin solo by concertmaster Emma Thompson and a cello solo by Riley Fullmer.
The concert ended with a bang in a performance by the MVHS Jazz Band. Their set began with an upbeat arrangement of “Santa Baby” featuring soloists Hayden Postma on tenor sax, Austin Belcher on trombone and Easton Dalley on trumpet. Next was a catchy version of “Oh Come All Ye Faithful.” And the band finished with “The Little Drummer Boy” with drum solo by Sam Bond and tenor sax solo by Tyler Peterson.
The audience was sent home with a final encore of “Feliz Navidad” by the Jazz Band.
Delgadillo expressed appreciation to parents for the opportunity of teaching their talented children.
“It has been so rewarding to watch these young adults accept the challenges placed before them and rise to the expectations I have had for them,” she said.
