MLPS Java-N-Jazz Night mixes Christmas, popular tunes
The Java-N-Jazz Holiday Concert of Mountain Lake Public School (MLPS) featured the Junior High Show Choir (Grades 6-8), Junior High Percussion Ensemble (Grades 7-8), Junior High Jazz Wolves (Grades 7-8), Senior High Show Choir (Grades 9-12), Senior High Percussion Ensemble (Grades 9-12) and Senior High Jazz Wolves (Grades 9-12) – along with a vocal solo by Lily Kauffman and the vocal duet of Carmen Syverson and Signey Stoesz – in a mix of Christmas songs and popular contemporary tunes.
The concert, held Monday evening, December 21, in the Alliance Church, was also highlighted by a large variety of sweet treat cupcakes, made by Sweets by Am-Amberly Hulzebos of Mountain Lake – who is also a Mountain Lake Public Elementary School (MLES) second-grade instructor.
The performers who take part in the extra musical partnership are from the Junior High and Senior High Bands and the Junior High and Senior High Choirs. Student participants rehearse in hours outside the school day, most notably before the bell rings for the start of the day.
MLPS Director of Choirs is Andrea Brinkman and Kurt Jahnke is the MLPS Director of Bands. Choreographer for the Junior High and Senior High Show Choirs is Kelli Tucholke, a MLES kindergarten teacher.
Below is a photo gallery from the special musical evening:
THE JUNIOR HIGH Show Choir – composed of students in grades 6-8) filled the stage for their selections. Front, from left, Hana Bergling, Carly Osland, Anika Fast, Delainey Janzen, Naly Sayavong, Jon Faber, Kolby Kremmin, Mace Herrig and Joel Salgado. Middle, from left, Jordan Wright, Lesly Orea Morales, Eryn Friesen, Jasmine Davison, Olivia Christians, Madison Hartle, Damon Khamvongsa, Tanner Koetzle and Noah Rempel Back , from left, Cynthia Bernal, Chloe Anacker, Sierra Perkins, Mercedes Saengosoth, Olivia Klassen, Kaiya Sayavong, Harlan Munning, Ethan Nickel, Kade Wassman, Wyatt Wall, Sebastian Rehnelt and Aiden Rehnelt.
CAPTURED IN MID-performance. Front, from left, Carly Osland, Anika Fast and Delainey Janzen. Back, from left, Jordan Wright, Naly Sayavong and Eryn Friesen.
MOVING TO THE music. Front, Jon Faber, left and Mace Herrig, right. Middle, from left, Madison Hartle, Damon Khamvongsa and Tanner Koetzle. Back, from left, Harlan Munning, Ethan Nickel and Kade Wassman.
THE SENIOR HIGH Show Choir and Junior High Show Choir partnered for one number. Onstage were, Senior High Show Choir members, front, Sam Grev, left and Ryan McCue, right. Back, from left, Ethan Karschnik, Regan Syverson, Chanah Brandt and Meredith Suess. At back are Junior High Show Choir members Damon Khamvongsa, left and Tanner Koetzle, behind right.
ADDITIONAL PERFORMERS FROM each of the Show Choirs were scattered throughout the audience, including, from left, Lesly Orea Morales of the Junior High Show Choir and Senior High Show Choir members Kayla Vonk and Kalley Rempel.
LILY KAUFFMAN, RIGHT, shared a vocal solo selection from “The Messiah.” She was accompanied on piano by Becky Jungas, left.
FIVE DRUMMERS (AND one cymbalist) from the Junior High Percussion Ensemble. From left, Emilee Xayanourom, Megan McCue, Jasmine Vongsy, Bileigh Anacker and Joel Salgado. Not pictured are the bass drum players, Annelise Regier, Noah Rempel and Daniel Gardiner.
A QUINTET OF Junior High Jazz Band instrumentalists. Front, Sebastian Rehnelt on trumpet, MLPS Director of Bands Kurt Jahnke on saxophone (and trumpet) and Anna Kirk on saxophone. back, Noah Rempel on baritone and saxophonist Daniel Gardiner. An additional Junior High Jazz Wolves performer was Joel Salgado on drum set.
ANNA KIRK FOCUSES on her saxophone music.
NOAH REMPEL HANDLES the deep brass sounds from the baritone.
SENIORS CARMEN SYVERSON, left and Signey Stoesz, right, shared the Christmas song, ‘Mary, Did You Know?” in vocal duet, with Syverson accompanying the selection on piano and Stoesz on guitar.
SENIOR HIGH SHOW Choir members’ turn to execute their song-and-dance numbers. Front, from left, Eli Karschnik, Ethan Karschnik, Ryan McCue, Sam Grev, Ruben Fentanez, David Hall and Regan Syverson. Middle, from left, Taylor Naas, Kayla Vonk, Kalley Rempel, Jae Faber, Chanah Brandt and Meredith Suess. Back, from left, Liana Blomgren, Carmen Syverson, Kenna Gardiner, Signey Stoesz, Kyla Perkins and Lexia Peters.
FRONT, RUBEN FENTANEZ, left and David Hall, right. Middle, Jae Faber, left and Chanah Brandt, right. Back, Kyla Perkins, left and Lexia Peters, right.
FRONT, RYAN MCCUE. Middle, David Hall, left and Liana Blomgren, right. Back, Kenna Gardiner.
BEHIND SOLOIST SIGNEY Stoesz, at front left, Senior High Show Choir members sing “All I Want For Christmas Is You.” Front, from left, Stoesz, Sam Grev and Chanah Brandt. Middle, from left, Ruben Fentanez, Meredith Suess, Ethan Karschnik and Carmen Syverson. Back, Taylor Naas, left and Kayla Vonk, right.
PULLING OFF A big finish are Jae Faber, front and Regan Syverson, back.
POSE AT THE end of their performance and their final song, “Free Ride.” Front, Taylor Naas. Second row, from left, Kyla Perkins, Jae Faber, Chanah Brandt and Signey Stoesz. Third row, from left, Carmen Syverson, Lexia Peters, Liana Blomgren, Kenna Gardiner, Kayla Vonk, Meredith Suess and Kalley Rempel. Back, the men of the Senior High Show Choir, from left, Ethan Karschnik, Eli Karschnik, Ruben Fentanez, Ryan McCue, Sam Grev, David Hall and Regan Syverson.
POUNDING OUT THE beat are the members of the Senior High Percussion Ensemble. From left, Kayla Vonk, Liana Blomgren, Zach Spinks, Ethan Klassen, Sam Grev, Ryan McCue, Kalley Rempel, Regan Syverson and Braden Rempel. For many of the participants in both the Senior High and Junior High Percussion Ensembles, percussion is not their primary instrument; they elect to expand their skills through taking part in the group.
WATCHING THEIR MUSIC. Sam Grev, left and Ryan McCue, right of the Senior High Percussion Ensemble.
THE SENIOR HIGH Jazz Wolves. Front, from left, Karen Soutthivong on clarinet and saxophonists Amy Bartsch, Braden Rempel, Yahayra Sanchez, Sam Hirsch and Ryan McCue. Back, from left, on trumpet, Carmen Syverson, Kalley Rempel, Kayla Vonk and Ryan Blomgren; trombonists Regan Syverson and Liana Blomgren and Ethan Karschnik on baritone. Not pictured are percussionists Jaden Hoek and Ethan Klassen, along with MLPS Director of Bands Kurt Jahnke on keyboard.
LEFT, CLARINETIST KAREN Soutthivong and right, Amy Bartsch on saxophone.
BRADEN REMPEL, WHO usually plays the baritone saxophone, adds the intriguing tones of the agogo bells to the Senior High Percussion Ensemble’s number, “Hot! Hot! Hot!” Agogo is Yoruba (an ethnic group of southwestern and north-central Nigeria as well as southern and central Benin in West Africa) for bell. Agogo bells may be the oldest samba instrument and has the highest pitch of any of the bateria (drum kit) instruments. This allows a differently pitched note to be produced depending on which bell has been hit. Originally made of wrought iron, they are now manufactured in a variety of metals and sizes for different sound qualities. The most common arrangement is two bells attached by a U-shaped piece of metal.
SAXOPHONISTS YAHAYRA SANCHEZ, left and Sam Hirsch, right – along with the rest of the Senior High Jazz Wolves – closed the program with the spirited instrumental number, “Hark, Those Herald Angels Rock.”
