Holiday Concert Sparks Great Turnout

The St. Rita of Cascia High School Band was full of Christmas spirit as they recently put on their annual Holiday Concert.  A great crowd of almost 300 was treated to performances from the Jazz Band, Symphonic Band and the Ritanettes, the school’s color guard.  Parents, students and the general public showed their support of the music program with loud cheers and applause throughout the evening.  Director Cindy Gradek combined her musical and stand-up talent to keep the night lively and entertaining.   

The Jazz band started the evening with some upbeat interpretations of classic holiday songs, including “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” and Elvis’ “Blue Christmas.”  Some featured soloists included trumpet player James Bretz ‘08, Tenor Sax Matt Storino ‘09, and Trombone player Michael Casas ‘10.  The group’s performance showed the hard work they put in this semester, amidst the many other events they are involved in.  Each member of the Jazz band is involved in at least one other aspect of the music program, whether it is the Marching Mustangs Pep Band, volunteering at grammar school events, or studying sound engineering in the newly formed “eMusic” class.  They have a full bill for the second semester, as they are slated to perform at the Valentine Dinner Dance, a major St. Rita fundraiser, the Mothers Club Fashion Show, and the Alumni Banquet, which for the first time is on the school’s campus.   

Speaking of the eMusic class, Junior Mike Hall used techniques learned in that class to edit and mix the songs for the Ritanettes dazzling performances before and after intermission.  The young ladies performed their flag number along to Hall’s modified version of the Trans Siberian Orchestra’s now-classic orchestral rock Christmas song.  Then it was a spliced rendition of Gwen Stefani’s “Wind It Up” that provided the background for the Ritanettes’ rifle set.  The girls put on a great performance under the direction of Jodi McLawhorn.  

The Symphonic Band took the reins for the remainder of the concert, moving nicely through the rhythms and melodies of Christmas classics like “Stille, Stille, Stille” and “Merry Christmas Everyone,” which was complete with a crowd sing-along portion, graciously and energetically led by Brass Instructor Brandon Cloman.  Then the group finished off the set with a little Latin flavor, utilizing multitudinous percussion instruments to create a south-of-the-equator feel on “Santa’s Fiesta.”  After culminating with that crowd pleaser, how else could they top it but with a massive round of the St. Rita Fight Song.  Needless to say, the crowd rose to its feet and roared in approval as the curtains came down on what was one of Rita’s best holiday concerts in years. 

Congratulations to all the students involved in the performance and doing behind the scenes work, as well as to Director Cindy Gradek and her staff.  The Boosters also provided a decadent sweets table and ran a split-the-pot raffle.  If the audience wasn’t already in the holiday mood at the outset of the show, they certainly left that evening with Christmas cheer in their hearts. 

Photo: Joseph Bretz ‘08, Michael Hall ‘09, and Matt Storino ‘09 form the core of the saxophone section with Director Cindy Gradek adding some background trumpet lines.  Hall used techniques learned in the newly formed eMusic class to mix the music for the Ritanettes’ performance, while Storino soloed in “Blue Christmas.”