Sanford Middle School and Sanford High School bands and choirs perform holiday and winter songs.

By Grace Pearson, STAFF WRITER

Dec. 11, 2024

SANFORD, Maine – Sanford High School and Sanford Middle School bands and choirs are putting on winter concerts at the Sanford Performing Arts Center, on Wednesday, Dec. 11, at 6 p.m. (middle school performance) and Thursday, Dec. 12, at 6:30 p.m. (high school performance).

The concerts do not cost money to attend. There will be concessions provided by the Sanford Music Boosters at both concerts. 

During the middle school concert, the 6th, 7th and 8th grade band and chorus will perform. During the high school concert, the jazz band, wind ensemble, concert band, CCP Chorus, Honors Chamber Singers and Select Treble Choir will perform, plus the debut performance of the TTB Choir, also called The Basics, which consists of members of the choir who are tenors and basses. 

The middle school concert will be directed by band directors Joshua Hyssong and Erica Scarano and choir director Kyle Hayes. The high school concert will be directed by band director Hailey Francoeur and choir director Ryan Geary. 

Scarano welcomes Hayes and Hyssong to the district, saying, “This is Mr. Hayes first concert as our new Chorus and General Music Teacher here at SMS and Mr. Hyssongs first concert as our new 5th and 6th grade band teacher!” 

The middle school is playing Peace by Frank Ticheli, Colliding Visions by Brian Balmages (7th grade band), The Moon Winter (The Huron Carol) arranged by Vince Gassi (8th grade band), Santa the Barbarian and the Pirates of the North Pole (combined 7th and 8th grade band), plus more! 

Geary says that some fan favorites performed by the high school choir include Silent Night, Auld Lang Syne and the “classic Sanford tradition” of Sleigh Ride. “Some notable works we’ll be playing are ‘Oh Chanukah,’ ‘Christmas Pop Sing-a-Long,’ ‘Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy’ and many more,” said Francouer.

“Concerts are an amazing opportunity for our classes to be able to have a penultimate point of the semester,” said Geary. He says that the choir students work towards a full-time goal at the end of their semester instead of constantly working on assignment after assignment. 

He also invites everyone to attend the concert, saying, “Everyone is welcome. Everyone is invited. I hope people come and they sing their hearts out to Sleigh Ride because at the end of the day, it’s a great way to kick off our holiday spirit and our winter season by going to a great concert for free. And enjoying with your peers, enjoying with your families!”