Holiday Concert Scheduled Thursday

The Ponca City Public Schools Elementary, Middle, and Philharmonic String Orchestras will present their annual Holiday concert on Thursday, Nov. 30.

The concert is free to the public and will begin at 7 p.m. in the Ponca City Schools Concert Hall.

We are very excited that Santa is going to be able to make the journey to Ponca City for our holiday concert. He will be in the lobby from 6 to 6:45 p.m. to take pictures with any patrons that would like to. We hope this adds to your holiday season.

The performance begins with the 74-member 6th Grade Orchestra taking the stage to perform David Shaffer’s creative, all-pizzicato piece entitled Pizzicato Parade. The group will then perform an exciting piece, Gingersnaps, composed by James Kazik. The 6^th grade Orchestra will conclude their portion of the concert with a holiday favorite, Santa Claus Is Coming To Town, arranged by Bob Cerulli. The 6th Grade Orchestra is under the direction of Katie Rolf and Cassidy Broome. Next on the program will be the first selection from the 49-member High School Philharmonic Orchestra. Under the direction of Cassidy Broome, the orchestra will present Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer, arranged by Bob Cerulli. The program continues with the 27-member 8th Grade Orchestra under the direction of Katie Rolf. The 8th Grade Orchestra will open with Jamin Hoffman’s Jingle Bell Waltz, a familiar holiday selection in the style of a Viennese Waltz. Next, the orchestra will perform a popular holiday classic, Frosty the Snowman, arranged by Bruce Chase. They conclude their portion of the concert with Soon Hee Newbold’s Storm, a work depicting a ferocious weather system. Next, the Philharmonic Orchestra returns to the stage to explore the wide open spaces in Soon Hee Newbold’s Spirit of the American West, under the direction of Katie Rolf.

Following the Philharmonic Orchestra will be the 40-member 7th Grade Orchestra under the direction of Cassidy Broome. Their first piece is a medieval take on a holiday classic, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, composed by Deborah Baker Monday. Their second piece lets each section shine in Becky Phillips Bush’s Arctic Crossing. The 7th Grade Orchestra will conclude their portion of the concert with Ukrainian Bell Carol, arranged by John Caponegro. The program continues with the Philharmonic Orchestra’s performance of Bruce Chase’s arrangement of holiday favorite, Jingle Bell Rock, under the direction of Katie Rolf. 

Following the High School Philharmonic Orchestra is the 117-member 5th Grade Orchestra, performing Hot Cross Buns, Rolling Along, and Jingle Bells. Select members of the Philharmonic and Symphony Strings Orchestra will accompany the 5th grade orchestra, under the direction of Cassidy Broome and Katie Rolf.

To conclude the concert, all of the orchestras will combine on stage to perform the traditional holiday tune Jingle Bells. We are excited to have selected members of the Symphony Strings Orchestra accompanying our orchestras this evening.

A special thank you to Paula Cochran, District Instrumental Music Coordinator, for accompanying the orchestras on the piano. Thank you to Raktim Adhikary, senior band member, for playing the drums.