Schools
Holiday Show Welcomed Back Band; Introduced Piano Students
Choir, soloists, band and piano pieces performed by Roxborough High School students got audience members in the holiday spirit Tuesday.
It's been nearly 20 years since Roxborough High School had a school band. But the newly formed band received a warm welcome back at the school's holiday showcase Tuesday.
Musical director Ronald Coles said, aside from being talented, his group of young musicians are quick learners.
“These children just started learning in the past 12 to 13 weeks,” he said.
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The school received more than $28,000 of musical instruments and the director said he wasn't going to have them go to waste.
Performances by the school's choir and band were included in the show. A number of soloists took to the stage to for their rendition of a number of holiday classics including "This Christmas" and "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas."
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The evening was also the debut of the school's piano students. Some of the piano numbers included "The Talking Clock" and "Sandman's Lullaby."
"Our piano students have only been playing for 12 weeks to one year," he said.
Piano lessons are rare in Philadelphia, Coles said, Roxborough is one of the only schools to offer them.
Bringing back the band was a school-wide effort, Vice Principal Dana Jenkins said as she recognized the student teachers who assisted the school's choir and band.
