Jamie Lammers, Nederland. Last week was incredibly busy for the music and theater students at Nederland Middle-Senior High. There were many different events that kept those students occupied, along with the additional stress of preparing for final exams. However, they all had a blast participating in the events.

First, on Tuesday, December 10, 2019, the Nederland orchestra performed for their winter concerts. The fifth and sixth grade orchestras performed a classic Christmas medley, Dragonhunter, and variations on Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, the middle-level orchestra performed Let it Go from Frozen and Two Scottish Farewells, and the high school orchestra performed Tango D’amour, Carol of the Bells, and Greensleeves. In the finale, all of the orchestras came together to score the timeless tale The Night Before Christmas, read by one of Nederland’s language arts teachers, Melissa Budde. The band concert followed immediately after, with the fifth grade performing Lightly Row, the sixth grade performing Jingle Bells and The Lost Kingdom, the middle level performing African Journey and C Jam Blues, and the high school performing the classic jazz piece Caravan. For their finale, the bands all came together to perform variants of Good King Wenceslas.

The next evening, on Wednesday, December 11, 2019, Nederland hosted their 2019 winter choir concert. The sixth and seventh grade choir, eighth grade choir, Festival Choir, and Loquations sang various pieces, including the sixth and seventh grade’s Give Us Hope, the eighth grade’s Crossing a Bridge, the Festival’s Deep in The Meadow, and the return of the Loquation’s Prayer of the Children. Festival Choir and Loquations joined forces on the tracks Cornerstone and City Called Heaven. There were even pieces where all of the choirs sang together, those being a traditional African piece called Bhombela and an acapella rendition of Carol of the Bells. These concerts are great opportunities for students to show what they can do on stage with their instruments and with their voices, and this winter’s set proves that wholeheartedly.

Finally, from Thursday, December 12, 2019, to Saturday, December 14, 2019, select members of Thespian Troupe 2718 traveled to the Colorado Convention Center in Denver for the 55th Annual Colorado State Thespian Conference. Many of the students performed their own individual acting and/or singing events, and all of them received praise. Four groups received an Excellent rating overall: Rowan Harper and Townes Bakke for their short film By the Lakeside and Natalie Taylor, James Lammers, and Marguerite Bradley for their solo musical pieces. Five groups received a Superior rating overall and qualify to attend the International Thespian Festival in Indiana this summer: Marguerite Bradley for a second solo musical piece, Ellie Brewer for her solo musical piece, Alexandra Berumen-Gonzalez and Hadley Zotti for their monologues, and Ellie Brewer and Meagan Figgins for their duo scene. All the students had a blast attending workshops, watching the many shows that schools from across the state performed, and meeting new people that shared the same love of theater that they did. It was a spectacular weekend of fun, food, and friends and one that non-graduating students will look forward to attending again.

Music and theater students are always busy at Nederland, and that week was particularly crazy for them. However, despite consistently having to juggle both school and events like these, they always enjoy participating in those events and being a part of the incredible music/theater program at Nederland Middle Senior High School.

(Originally published in the December 19, 2019, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)