Music is a must-have when ringing in the holiday season and Saint John Vianney’s choir and band did just that on Monday, December 9, 2013. Under the leadership of Ms. Mary-Kate Figur, who is now the new Director of Vocal Music, and Mrs. Rachel Ryan, the choir and band displayed a night complete with modern songs, traditional carols, and a cheerful atmosphere that put everyone in the Christmas spirit.

Donning red and black attire, the choir took the spotlight for the first half of the concert. They opened the evening with contemporary piece ‘’Believe,’’ with a solo by senior Haley Blanchard, and customary hymns such as ‘’Still, Still, Still’’, with a duet by seniors Alicia McEnearney and Andrea Acosta, ‘’Have yourself a Merry little Christmas’’, with a solo by sophomore Samantha Shaw, and ‘’Breath of Heaven’’, led by senior Kelly Bradley and sophomore Marissa Payne. ‘’Breath of Heaven’’ was especially impressive because seniors Rachel Morgan and Haley Blanchard along with sophomores Trinity Day and Christine Church implemented sign language to go along with the melody of the song, which truly made the song a sensation. In between performances, Christmas narrations written by Mrs. Ryan were performed by seniors Daniel Acquaviva and Christina Goumas and sophomores Amanda Spina and Trinity Day, which made the concert even more joyful.

The newly formed Show Choir consists of a select ensemble of choir members with advanced singing abilities. They sang enjoyable holiday classics such as ‘’Baby Please Come Home’’, with a solo by freshman Emily Vagnone, ‘’Please Come Home for Christmas’’, led by freshman Olivia Howell, and ‘’All I want for Christmas is you’’, with a solo by freshman Ava Valentino.

Sophomore and Show Choir member Hannah Olsen’s favorite song from the concert is ‘’All I Want for Christmas is You.’’ ‘’I love this song because it is upbeat and incredibly fun to sing and dance to. Everyone put so much time and effort into this song to make it perfect and I’m so glad I got to be a part of it.” said Olsen.

The members of the Show Choir include: Ava Valentino, Olivia Howell, Marissa Payne, Samantha Shaw, Amanda Spina, Hannah Olsen, Rebecca Simpson, Jenny Lewis, Emily Vagnone, Kelly Bradley, Andrea Acosta, Chitvan Saggu, Christina Goumas and Mackenzie Minogue,

After the Choir, Ms. Figur and Mrs. Ryan handed the second half of the show over to Mr. Dalton and the SJV Band. They performed many holiday favorites including, ‘’Sleigh Ride’’, ‘’Charlie Brown Christmas’’, ‘’Deck the Halls’’, and several other Christmas classics. At the end, Mr. Dalton announced the members of the brand new Tri-M Music Honor Society Chapter, which consists of many upperclassmen in the choir and band.

Ms. Figur and Mr. Dalton are very excited about what the future holds for the SJV choirs and band. They have been working with the students since July and have been thrilled with the hard work and devotion shown by members of the chorus and band.

Sophomore Show Choir member Amanda Spina said, ‘’We are all so grateful to have such amazing choir and band directors who have pushed the arts department to a new level. We love and appreciate Ms. Figur and Mr. Dalton so much.”

The choir and band are becoming more and more diverse every day. They are adding more contemporary music into their performances. Their new style is distinctive and is identified by everyone that sees them. This Christmas Concert was overall, a smashing success.