Smith-Cotton Band Students Perform Holiday Concert

Holiday favorites and classical selections were featured Thursday night as the Sedalia 200 Instrumental Music Department offered its 2016 Christmas Concert in the Heckart Performing Arts Center.

The night included performances by band students in grades 5 through 12 and ranged from “Jingle Bells” to the overture from the film “Gremlins.” Among the highlights from the high school performances were the jazz band’s “Hanukkah Medley” and the band’s take on “Russian Christmas Music.”

There also was a performance of Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” by all of the students, with musicians filling the stage and spilling out to the seating area.

PIC2: Senior saxophone player Ashley Grotzinger takes the solo on “Winter Wonderland” during the Smith-Cotton jazz band performance Thursday night during the 2016 Christmas Concert in the Heckart Performing Arts Center. The jazz band also played “Hanukkah Medley” and “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.” Performing with Grotzinger, from left, are Jenna Northcutt, Sarah Bergman, Madison Knight, Jove Labille and Sydney Schlup.

PIC1: Mason Feurer plays the “Mozart Melody” with the Sedalia Middle School fifth grade band.

PIC16a: Director of Instrumental Music Grant Maledy leads the combined fifth grade through high school bands as they perform “Ode to Joy.”

PIC14: Sydny Kocsis, a senior flute player, performs “Russian Christmas Music” with the high school band.

PIC4: Sixth grader Lily Sanders plays “Frosty the Snowman” during Thursday night’s concert.