Alumni came to Kearsley from all over the state with their graceful melodies to spread Christmas cheer together with A Capella choir.

Kearsley’s first alumni holiday concert was Saturday, Dec. 9.

Before the alumni took the stage, Mrs. Renee Kotzian, choir director, informed the audience that the alumni only had three practices to prepare for the concert, and none with the rest of the choirs.

Hearing this made me feel a bit uneasy for what was to come.

Kotzian was nervous about the outcome with so few practices.

“It was scary because I can only control what’s going in my classroom,” Kotzian said.

She said the best thing she could do to prepare was to “pray for the best.”

I held tight to my chair expecting the worst, but as they began singing I was blown away with surprise.

The alumni began with the song “Do You Hear What I Hear?” arranged by Harry Simeone.

I felt this classic song was gentle yet powerful, as it carried me into a state of reminiscence.

They sang smoothly and professionally through their songs.

Next came the Melody Makers, a small, select group of A Capella students who compete nationally.

When the Melody Makers took the stage, they began with the song “Mary Did You Know?” arranged by Russell Mauldin.

During their performance, I felt wrapped in warmth with their gentle tones.

This song was sang sweetly, like a lullaby.

The next song the Melody Makers sang was “A Charlie Brown Christmas” arranged by Steve Zegree.

I found this to be my favorite of the night.

It was apparent that it was one of the favorites from the choir too.

Seeing their sways and smiles made the song that much more enjoyable.

“A Charlie Brown Christmas” was sang stupendously upbeat and fun, even causing me to dance in my seat a bit.

Overall, the Melody Makers were the most enjoyable.

Following the Melody Makers was the rest of the A Capella class.

They began with “Calypso Gloria” by Emily Crocker.

This song was quite cheerful.

Although I personally found the song to be a little repetitive and long, the group brought life to it and sang it beautifully.

“Jingle Bells Through the Ages” by Allen Pote came next for the A Capella class.

There were speaking parts where I felt the students could have been louder, but they definitely made up for it with their singing.

“Jingle Bells Through the Ages” stood out to me quite a lot.

The choir took a different twist on the original song.

We took a trip through the ages ending in the 21st century.

During the song I swooned over and over again at the choirs’ angelic voices.

There were parts where the boys and girls sang different lyrics at the same time, which was unique and refreshing.

After the A Capella group had finished, the alumni joined them on the stage.

The most notable of their songs was “Sleigh Ride” arranged by Hawley Dawes.

This song incorporated the jingling of sleigh bells and a clapper.

Following this song was a 25-minute song called “Handel’s Messiah” arranged by Larry F. Pugh and the choirs traditional “Irish Blessing” by Linda Spevacek.

Remembering that there had not been a practice with the alumni and the A Capella, I felt very proud of both of the choirs for how smoothly and effortlessly all of the songs went.

Kotzian plans to have another alumni concert in the future and hopes for more alumni to join.