Prince Rupert music students orchestrate holiday concert

Prince Rupert students will be hosting the Band Christmas Concert as their first live performance in two years, at the Lester Centre for the Arts, on Dec. 12.

More than 150 students in Grades 5 to 12, will play holiday classics, as well as modern tunes, conducted by band teachers Daniel Sim and Kristy Tillman.

“It’s just really exciting to be back on the stage and in the theatre and having a live audience. I’m looking forward to it,” Tillman said.

Admission is by donation with the money raised going toward the School District 52 band programs.

Band students have the absence of live stage throughout the pandemic and look forward to returning.

“I’m so happy because I don’t think I’ve had an audience to play in front of since Grade 9,” Zoey Mah, Grade 11 band student, said.

For other students, playing live is what being a musician is all about.

“Playing in front of a crowd is more of a motivation for me because rather than recording yourself … when you’re actually performing in front of an audience you have one shot,” Sam Costa, Grade 12, said. “So, you really have to perfect your parts — and I like that a lot.”

“It’s super rewarding because the whole point of band is to really practice your instrument, get good at it and perform it for other people. So to receive that validation that you’re really doing a good job and hear the audience clap is kind of a big deal for playing music,” Sam Charlton, Grade 12 said.

Sim will be conducting the high school concert and jazz bands while Tillman will orchestrate the elementary and middle school musicians.

The senior concert band will play selections from How to Train Your Dragon, with the jazz band playing September, by Earth, Wind and Fire, based on the students’ requests, Sim said.

The younger bands will play holiday classics, such as Your a mean one Mr. Grinch, and other popular songs, Tillman said.

Sim, who began teaching band at Charles Hays Secondary School two years ago said he is excited to show off the excellent music his students have been working hard to master.

For Tillman, who has been teaching band for more than 16 years in Prince Rupert, her favourite part of the annual event is seeing how excited the youth are to play for their parents in front of a big audience, as well as seeing how proud the parents are of their efforts.

“The Lester Centre is a really beautiful building to be able to perform in and it’s a really special concert,” she said.

The Band Christmas Concert begins at 2 p.m. on Dec. 12 and is open to the public.

READ MORE: Heart of our City: Daniel Sim

READ MORE: Heart of Our City: Kristy Tillman