Band Director Beth Guertin leads the combined band/choral finale at the Annual Sr. Citizen Brunch/Concert. (Photo submitted)
HUNTINGTON – Approximately 100 area senior citizens visited Gateway on Wednesday, December 4 to enjoy a holiday brunch and seasonal concert. Residents from the towns of Blandford, Chester, Huntington, Middlefield, Montgomery, Russell and Worthington took part.
The brunch was prepared by Food Services Director Wendy McCaul and her staff and served by members of the Dana O. Webber Chapter of the National Honor Society at Gateway Regional High School. NHS members Angela Barrett, Lizzie Bean, Caitlyn Bodoh, Lily Iglesias, Eli Jameson, Jessica Lashtur, Casey McKittrick, Annaka Paradis-Burnett, Kendall Rooney, Sydney Thompson, Anna Vasilchenko and Jon Wyand served food, poured coffee and greeted guests.
Following the brunch, visitors went to the Gateway Performing Arts Center where they were treated to holiday music performed by students from Littleville Elementary School, the Gateway Choirs, the High School Jazz Band and the High School Concert Band. The groups were under the direction of Renee Mosher, Jerilyn Beauregard and Beth Guertin, respectively.
The Littleville Elementary School Chorus sang a number from the musical “Snow Biz”, which was performed at Gateway on December 12. The Jazz Band performed “Night and Day”, “Cupcake”, “Sweet Georgia Brown”, “Strawberry Jam” and “We Three Kings”.
The Grade 7 and Grade 8 Bands performed “O Come, O Come Emmanuel”, “Parade of the Wooden Soldiers” and “Jingle Bell Jazz”. The combined choirs performed “Touch The Sky”, “Deep in the Meadow”, “Candles in the Window”, and “Jingle Bell Dash”. The High School Concert Band performed “A Thing on ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’”, “Christmas Tidings”, and “A Fireside Christmas”.
All of the groups came together for the popular finale, “The Ultimate Christmas Sing Along” arranged by Jerry Brubaker and Bryan Kidd; a compilation of “Jingle Bells”, “Deck the Halls”, “Silent Night” and “We Wish You A Merry Christmas.”
Band Director Beth Guertin said that the staff and students look forward to this event every year. “It’s great to have such an active community, and the fact that they come to see us makes us want to give them a great performance each year!” Guertin said.
