The Harrisonburg High School Band program presented their winter concert on Thursday, December 11th at seven p.m. The concert included appearances from the HHS Jazz Quartet, the Jazzalopes Jazz Band, the student-led band This Side Up and the Concert and Symphonic band classes.

Junior Doug Ritcher played in This Side Up, HHS Jazz Quartet, the Jazzalopes and the Symphonic Band.

“It’s fun, a little hectic [to play in so many groups], running around and one ensemble is always right after the other, but it’s fun,” Ritcher said. “I mean it’s the parents [in the audience], but they always enjoy it.”

Claire Leeper, director of the Concert Band was pleased with the final product.

“I think it went very well. Concert band definitely had their best run of all of the pieces and symphonic band knocked it out of the park,” Leeper said.  “My favorite part was ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas,’ awesome show from Mr. Snow and great back-up from the band.”

The Fine Arts Coordinator for the city of Harrisonburg, J.R Snow added a dash of personality to the program. Snow guest-starred for one of the Symphonic Band pieces, “Twas the Night Before Christmas.” He read the classic story to his children while the band played music that accompanied the events in the book.

“I love doing the piece with the Symphonic Band; it felt like home with my girls sitting next to me reading the night before Christmas,” Snow said. “I loved it.”

The Symphonic band prepared for this song in particular more than most, having rehearsals after school and even on the snow day that HHS was given.

The girls themselves responded with two very enthusiastic thumbs up when asked how they felt about being in the program.

“I loved the diversity between the band in the front, and lots of different ensembles,” Snow said. “All the different sounds kept the interest going.”

The HHS instrumental ensembles will now be preparing for concerts in the spring.