Prairie View concert riffs on 'Polar Express' theme

By Roger Sims

linncountyjournal@icloud.com

The combined instrumental and vocal program for the Prairie View High School holiday concert on Monday, Dec. 16, returned to a familiar theme, “The Polar Express” movie. Both vocalists and musicians wore their concert pajamas, another nod to the movie where most of the children riding the Polar Express had been awakened from slumber and invited onboard the train headed to the North Pole.

The concert at the district’s Performing Arts Center opened with a boy ambling from stage right, down the front streps and across the floor in front of the front-row seats where he was greeted by a tall man with a mustache wearing a conductor’s uniform holding up a railroad-style lantern, unmistakable reference to the movie.

The Polar Express conductor persuades the boy to take a musical journey during the Prairie View High School winter concert on Monday, Dec. 16. (Photos by Roger Sims / Linn County Journal.)

The next hour saw the school’s band and choir performing – sometimes together and other times separately – scores from the movie’s soundtrack. The opening number, performed by both the choir and band was the movie’s theme song. Throughout the concert, scenes from the movie were projected onto a screen above the stage.

Concertgoers found on entering the auditorium that every other row was closed off for seating. The reason for the unusual seating became apparent when the band and choir performed “Hot Chocolate,” from one of the action-packed scenes from the movie where waiters and cooks served the drink to children on the train.

Violet Long and Miranda Covell were a featured duet in "Mary, Did You Know."

As the song was being performed, members of the Prairie View FFA organization used the vacant rows to serve, much to the delight of concertgoers, cups of hot chocolate.

Other songs performed by the choir, under the direction of James Beltz, included, “Mary, Did You Know” featuring a duet by Violet Long and Miranda Covell, the spiritual “Go Tell It on the Mountain,” and “Carol of the Bells.”

The band's clarinet section performs during the opening piece.

Band-only pieces included, “Christmas ‘Ala’ Big Band,” and “Santa Meets the Big Bands.” The band performed under the direction of Jeffery Russell.

The concert ended with a choir-band combined performance of “Believe,” and “Spirit of the Season,” two more pieces from the movie’s soundtrack.

Prairie View FFA members Maci Britz, left, and Kandence Lurker serve hot chocolate to concertgoers while the band and choir perform "Hot Chocolate!" from the movie.

Choir members include:

Seniors: Cecilia Brockway, Aurora Burton, Miranda Covell, Cash Lintner, Violet Long, Paige Utech

Juniors: Elizabeth Godfrey, Sequoia Locklear, Lily Michelle

Sophomores: Faith Campbell, Ninetta Johnson, Linda Long, Bethany Nodwell

Freshmen: Mallory Cline, Jayden Coen, Cali Hut, Marley Johnson, Emilija Jordan, Travis Peckman, Brilee Shrum, Kinleigh Stiles

Eighth grade: LaRee Parsons, Trinity Post

Choir members perform "Carol of the Bells."

Concert band members include:

Flute: Ke’Shawna Case, Melanie Merriman, Aleena Miller-Piccolo, Brilee Shrum-Piccolo

Oboes: Bailey Hughes, Waylon Stainbrook

Bassoon: Aleena Miller

Clarinets: Josie Dumcum, Talyn Jordan, Emmett Kern, Jercey VanDyke

Alto saxophones: Wilber Alvarez, Cecilia Brockway, Payton Marmon

Tenor saxophones: Aaden Bevan, Alex Raphael-Martin

The percussion section performs during the opening number.

Baritone saxophone: Alex Raphael-Martin

Euphonium: Nate Herring

Trumpets: Abigail Alvarez,  Ethan Holler, Christopher Sramek, Ethan Teagarden

Trombones:  Erick Grove, Solomon Law, Trinity Post, Mary Ryan, Caden Young

Tubas: Rhett Pope, Landon Schull

Percussion: Elijah Egidy, William Egidy, Michael Huff, Dawson Moore, Luke Moore, Joseph Pribble

Choir members perform "Goin' on a Sleigh Ride.

The woodwind section plays "Believe."

Santa was on hand after the concert to visit with the believers.