December 7, 2016
By KEITH RYAN CARTWRIGHT
Rutherford County Schools
The sound of Christmas carolers from Blackman High School filled the boardroom at Rutherford County Schools on Tuesday night.
“Hark how the bells / Sweet silver bells / All seem to say / Throw cares away / Christmas is here / Bringing good cheer,” they sang as board members, RCS department heads and other attendees smiled as they listened the joyful sounds of Carol of the Bells.
“It’s very exciting getting to give back to the community,” said Blackman senior Yohana Michael, who was among those singing during a school board meeting earlier this week, “and I know people appreciate it. Music really speaks when words can’t, so it’s really cool to do it.”
Blackman is just one of many schools in Rutherford County that are spending the better part of the next two weeks caroling out in the community. (An extensive list of appearances follows this article.)
It’s hard not to be in the holiday spirit when listening to Christmas music.
From traditional songs like Silent Night and The First Noel to more Carol of the Bells, it all resonates with audiences.
“In Middle Tennessee it’s not a problem, especially this time of year, to sing sacred music,” said Brenda Gregory, director of choirs at Siegel High School. “But there’s a lot of new music out there that we try to add to our performances.”
Siegel will be hosting their annual performance Thursday night and will be accompanied by select singers from Siegel Middle School.
Like many other schools, last weekend, Siegel singers were caroling out in the community.
“It’s a great time to showcase your program,” Gregory said.
Gilbert Aldridge agreed.
“I told the kids yesterday, being in the choir is a service,” said Aldridge, the choir director for LaVergne High School. “It’s a privilege.”
In addition to singing at the central office on Monday morning, LaVergne’s choir performed at a local nursing home and, last Saturday, they were at La Vergne City Hall for the annual lighting of the Christmas tree. This coming Saturday, they will be caroling at the Green Hills Mall in Nashville, and a small group of them will return to school for the community feed program being organized the JROTC.
The LaVergne choir will also perform on Dec. 15 at Rocket Town in Nashville for a party being held for underprivileged kids.
“They enjoy performing a lot more than they do preparing,” Aldridge joked.
Preparations by the LaVergne choir began in October and Aldridge said the kids, who auditioned for the choir last April, are made up of sophomores, juniors and seniors.
He said a year of being part of the choir, which will turn its attention toward competitions and festivals in the new year, “is just like a football team.”
“If a couple people aren’t there, then the rest of the choir suffers,” Aldridge explained.
It’s as much about learning responsibility as it is about singing.
“Some of the best kids at every school are in the fine arts,” Aldridge said.
In addition to caroling, many of the schools will be holding a full Christmas concert.
“It tends to be more elaborate as far as music is concerned,” Gregory said. “It’s a lot more formal actually then doing the caroling type.”
It’s a busy time for all the choirs, and it can be stressful for directors, who are tasked with scheduling appearances and arranging transportation. Many of them — and their choir members too — double up and are also performing with their church choirs.
“I love (performing) because in my whole entire life, so far, Christmas is my favorite time of year, so getting to perform songs with the choir is one of the best things I get to do all year,” Blackman senior Jeremy Puhr said. “It’s great going around and singing for other people and seeing what they think of us.”
Dec. 8 – Blackman High School band PRISM concert at 7 p.m.
Dec. 8 – Cedar Grove Elementary band and choir concert at 5:30 p.m.
Dec. 8 – Central Magnet high school band and orchestra concert at 7 p.m.
Dec. 8 – LaVergne High School winter concert at 7 p.m.
Dec. 8 – McFadden chorus concert at 7 p.m.
Dec. 8 – Oakland High School band concert at 6:30 p.m.
Dec. 8 – Rock Springs Middle School choir concert at 6 p.m.
Dec. 8 – Rockvale Middle School choir concert at 6:30 p.m.
Dec. 8 – Siegel High School choral concert (featuring Siegel Middle School select singers) at 7 p.m.
Dec. 8 – Smyrna Elementary fifth-grade performance of “The Elfis Impersonator” at 1 p.m., 1:40 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m.
Dec. 8 – Smyrna High School choir / percussion concert (with Smyrna Middle School chorus) at 7 p.m.
Dec. 8 – Stewarts Creek High School band concert at 7 p.m.
Dec. 8 – Thurman Francis band concert at 6:30 p.m.
Dec. 9 – LaVergne High School Christmas choral concert at 7 p.m.
Dec. 10 – Kittrell Elementary Choir performance at Southeast Baptist Church at 11:45 a.m.
Dec. 10 – LaVergne High School choraliers performance at Green Hills Mall at 11 a.m.
Dec. 10 – Riverdale High School choir performance at Southeast Baptist Church at 3:30 p.m.
Dec. 10 – Whitworth-Buchanan Middle School choir performance at Southeast Baptist Church at 1:15 p.m.
Dec. 11 – Eagleville High School choir performance at Southeast Baptist Church at 1:15 p.m.
Dec. 11 – McFadden chorus performance at Bethlehem Marketplace at 2 p.m.
Dec. 11 – Rock Springs Middle School chorus performance at Southeast Baptist Church at 4:15 p.m.
Dec. 12 – Eagleville second- and third-grade holiday program
Dec. 12 – Blackman Elementary winter concert at 6 p.m.
Dec. 12 – Campus School K-2 winter program at 1:30 p.m.
Dec. 13 – Barfield Elementary fine arts performance at PTO meeting at 6:30 p.m.
Dec. 13 – Blackman Middle School choir concert at 6:30 p.m.
Dec. 13 – Campus School third- through fifth-grade program winter program at 1:30 p.m.
Dec. 13 – Christiana Middle School band concert at 7 p.m.
Dec. 13 – Lascassas Elementary Christmas program at 6:30 p.m.
Dec. 13 – LaVergne Primary first grade performs “Snow” at 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Dec. 13 – Rockvale Middle School seventh- and eighth-grade band concert at 6:30 p.m.
Dec. 13 – Siegel High School band concert at 6:30 p.m.
Dec. 13 – Smyrna High School band / orchestra concert at 7 p.m.
Dec. 13 – Smyrna Middle School band concert at 6 p.m.
Dec. 13 – Thurman Francis orchestra concert at 7 p.m.
Dec. 13 – Whitworth-Buchanan Middle Christmas concert at 7 p.m.
Dec. 15 – Buchanan Elementary Christmas programs; grades K-2 at 6 p.m., grades 3-5 at 7:30 p.m. (at WBMS)
Dec. 15 – Oakland Middle choral concert at 6:30 p.m.
Dec. 15 – Siegel Middle School band concert at 6:30 p.m.
Dec. 15 – Walter Hill Elementary third-graders perform “Elflandia” at 6 p.m.
Dec. 16 – Barfield Elementary talent show at 8:30 a.m.
Dec. 16 – Rock Springs Elementary holiday jazz program at 8 a.m.
Dec. 16 – Thurman Francis Artists in Action performance at 7:45 a.m.
Dec. 17 – Campus School choir performs at Opry Mills main stage at 3:30 p.m.