C.H.S. Bands present Christmas Concert Thursday night

The Cairo High School Band will present its annual Christmas Concert tomorrow night, Dec. 12, beginning at 7 p.m. at the Cairo High School auditorium.

“We invite the Grady County community to join us for an evening of seasonal selections and hope that the concert will be a highlight of the holiday season. Our student musicians have transitioned from marching band season to concert season in preparation for this concert and I’m proud of their hard work. Come join us Thursday night,” Cairo High School Director of Bands John Scanling said.

First up on the program will be the C.H.S. Jazz Band under the direction of Mr. Scanling. The ensemble will perform “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “A Holly Jolly Christmas,” both by Johnny Marks and both arranged by Jerry Nowak.

Next up will be the Cairo High School Concert Band under the baton of C.H.S. Assistant Band Director Adam Swan.

The Concert Band will perform “Christmas Flourish” by James Curnow followed by “In the Bleak Midwinter” by Gustav Holst, arranged by Robert W. Smith. The Concert Band will conclude its portion of the program with “Jubilant Christmas” arranged by John Cacavas.

The C.H.S. Symphony Band, under the direction of Scanling, will conclude the program with four selections.

The Symphony Band will perform “Ukrainian Bell Carol” arranged by Richard L. Saucedo; “Sleigh Ride” by Leroy Anderson; and “Symphonic Prelude on Adeste Fidelis” by Claude T. Smith.

The concert finale will be “A Christmas Festival” by Leroy Anderson.

Members of the band’s Maestro Club will also be recognized at the concert. The Maestro Club provides financial support for the band program expenses over and above what is provided by tax dollars.

“We are extremely grateful for the support of our Maestro Club members. This community has a rich tradition of supporting the band and Cairo High School. We could not have the caliber of band program, which we are fortunate to have, without the financial support of these generous supporters of the Cairo band,” Scanling said.

Symphony level contributors donate $1,000 and above and contributors this year include Stuckey Construction, Grace Stallings, United National Bank, Margarett Roddenbery, Mills Heating & Air, and an anonymous donor.

Concert level contributors give $500 and above to the band. Those contributors include Zaxby’s, Dick and Sonya Porter, Gainous Well Drilling LLC, Grady County Sheriff Harry Young, South Georgia Outdoors, Southern Insurance, Southern Storage Solutions, Stallings Motors Inc., and Southeast Quality Propane.

Ensemble level contributors donate $250 and above each year. This year, those contributors include Capital City Bank, Cairo Medical Care, Drew Oil Company, First National Bank, Sun Stop Market, Kevin and Angie Strickland, Polarmatic Ice, Cairo Physical Therapy, The Ken Young Company, Mr. Chick, and Greg and Nina Willis.

Friends of the Band are contributors who donate $100 and above and they include: Cairo Eye Care, Cairo Auto Supply, Thomas L. Lehman, Royce’s Towing and Recovery, James H. Douglas, CPA, Archbold Medical Center, James F. Wyatt, Floyd and Glenda Creech, Mark and Leslye Upton, H. Lee and Carol Washington, Hobson Chevrolet-Buick, Derick and Angie Prince, and Mike and Susan Chastain.