The holiday spirit will ring out from the Ellis Middle School auditorium this week.

Monday, December 04, 2000

The holiday spirit will ring out from the Ellis Middle School auditorium this week.

The sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade choirs, bands and orchestras will perform for area residents on those days. The seventh grade will play at 7 tonight; the eighth grade will perform at 7 p.m. Tuesday; and the sixth grade will perform twice on Friday, at 1 and 2:05 p.m.

The seventh-grade orchestra will play two Christmas medleys. In addition, they have chosen to include what sixth- and seventh-grade orchestra director Sue Radloff calls their best tune, "Fiddles on Fire." A chamber orchestra of select seventh- and eighth-graders will perform with this group.

The seventh-grade choir will sing several Christmas tunes, as well as a selection titled "Piece Canon," choir director Jeff Schei said. A chamber choir comprised of seventh- and eighth-graders will sing a capella selections, as well as soloist-highlighted numbers. The soloists will be Taylor Schieck and Sara Knopik on "O Holy Night."

The seventh-grade band will play three seasonal tunes, including "Angels We Have Heard On High." They are conducted by Connie Muzik, a long-term substitute.

Ellis’ eighth-grade orchestra will play three carols and "The Winter" by Vivaldi, directed by Phil Burkhart. The eighth-grade band will play "Christmas Tryptich" and Christmas pops medleys, as well as a holiday finale. A brass ensemble will perform "Canon" by Tallis and "Greensleeves." A woodwind quintet directed by Glen Monson will present some pieces during this performance.

Schei has selected several interesting pieces for the eighth-grade choir, including "Leroy, the Redneck Reindeer," featuring soloists Chris Tobar and Jake Burginski. "Mary Had a Baby" and "O Happy Day," also will be sung, with Susie Bryan, Claudia Padilla and Taylor Neeser performing solos on "O Happy Day."

The sixth-grade orchestra will play two Christmas tunes and "The Skater’s Waltz" by Wold Teufel. Sixth-grade band director Tim Davis expects his students to perform three Christmas tunes, including "Frosty the Snowman."

Choir selections include "Dance of the Willow," featuring soloists Laura Davis and Nicole Harmer, "Up on the Housetop" and the seasonal Russian song, "Minka." In the interest of being current, they will sing "You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch."

Each group contains about 40 to 60 students, with the sixth-grade orchestra numbering more than 60.

"The bigger the choir, the better the choir," student Alex Kaiser said.

The most difficult part of his job as director is choosing the soloists, Schei said.

"Several of the students can stand up in front of their peers and sing with a beautiful voice, but the problem becomes who can sing like that when in the group."