NB music students have whirlwind holiday season

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NEW BREMEN — Barely back from marching and singing at Disney World’s Thanksgiving week, the choir and band of New Bremen High School will perform its Christmas concert at 7:30 Monday night in the school’s Dicke Auditorium.

Patty Ruckman directed the choir through four-part harmonies and solo numbers Friday for a final rehearsal, and Zack Nellom guided the band’s rendering of holiday music to please the expected full-house audience. The choir and band will team up for an audience sing-along of Christmas tunes.

Ruckman’s singers showed strong discipline following her cues for the finer points of certain song passages, but she said, “These kids are ready for Christmas break — and so are the teachers” after the rehearsal

New Bremen’s tune-up for the holidays began with choir and band rehearsals for the week prior to Thanksgiving. The school’s 50 band members and 48 singers were invited to Walt Disney World’s holiday celebration held annually at the Florida resort.

“The band marched in the parade and the choir sang in a concert,” said Ian Frey, a sophomore trombone player. “It was a fun time, and we were back home the day before Thanksgiving.” Several thank-you statuettes of Mickey Mouse in the school trophy case attest to previous New Bremen appearances.

Frey, who also will sing bass in the choir for Monday night’s concert, and Sarah Parker, who can sing alto or soprano, have more to share than holiday greetings. They’re happy to tell about their musical travels in Europe this summer.

The two sophomores were selected as Ohio Ambassadors of Music and traveled In a program through Bowling Green State University. The Ohio entourage of 125 students swept through England, France, Switzerland, Austria and Germany in 16 days. Both said Switzerland was their favorite stop on the tour.

Parker said the best concert venue was in Germany. “The crowd was welcoming, and we sang in a church — it was so pretty.” And her most eye-opening site was Dachau concentration camp near Munich. “It was surreal. You read about it and think about it, but it’s different when you’re actually there.”

Frey said Frey said the Matterhorn on the Swiss-Italian border was the most spectacular site, and he enjoyed seeing Europe’s “variety of cultures. There are such vast differences between countries.”

The free concert probably will fill the 474 auditorium seats well before the 7:30 p.m. start time.

Depending on the song, Sara Parker, center, sings soprano or alto in the Christmas concert Monday night at New Bremen High School.
http://www.sidneydailynews.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/47/2017/12/web1_SaraParker.jpgDepending on the song, Sara Parker, center, sings soprano or alto in the Christmas concert Monday night at New Bremen High School.

Ian Frey, right, plays trombone in the band and also sings bass in the choir for Monday night’s Christmas Concert at New Bremen High School.
http://www.sidneydailynews.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/47/2017/12/web1_IanTrombone.jpgIan Frey, right, plays trombone in the band and also sings bass in the choir for Monday night’s Christmas Concert at New Bremen High School.

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