Blue Devil Band spreads holiday cheer

Annual Christmas concert features symphonic, jazz bands in action

By RALPH HARDIN

ralphhardin@gmail.com

The Academies of West Memphis’s Performing Arts Center was the place to be last Monday night as the West Memphis Band put on its annual Holiday Concert featuring a medley of Christmas favorites and a few with some stylistic twists.

The Symphonic Band took the stage first, under the direction of new AWM Band Director Brice Evans, who returned to West Memphis this year where he once served as an assistant director.

Evans led the band in their performance of James Curnow’s “Fanfare for Christmas,” followed by “O Come All Ye Faithful.”

“This is the song we would have played in the Christmas parade had it not been rained out,” said Evans. “But you all get to hear it here inside where it’s warm and dry.”

The Symphonic Band then closed its set with the always popular performance of “Sleigh Ride” by Leroy Anderson, with an arrangement by James Ployhar.

With that, the Symphonic Band yielded the stage to the AWM Jazz Band, under the direction of Wonder Band Director Ryan Ashley, who also joined in the band playing bass guitar.

The Jazz Band opened with “Whoa Christmas Tree!” by Mike Collins- Dowden, a funky version of the classic “O Christmas Tree” with a jazzy bend. The second tune was Walter Kent’s timeless “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” with Terra Hardin trading her trombone for a microphone to sing along with the band as they strolled through Jerry Nowak’s arrangement.

The Jazz Band closed with “Hot Chocolate,” by Glen Ballard and Alan Silvestri, which put a little New Orleans into the holiday tune.

With that, Evans thanked his assistants, Lane Hall and Payden Hill for their hard work and dedication and thanked parents for their support of the West Memphis band program.

The sax section fires through “Sleigh Ride.” William Tennison (far right) had the honor of being one of three Arkansas student musicians to play in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York last month.

Director Brice Evans is working through his first year at the helm of the Blue Devil Band.