By Mike Armstrong
Reporter, Carbon County Comet
Beautiful Music in Rawlins
Christmas is within days and this past week parties, events, dinners and concerts are coming to an end. In Carbon County, last Sunday, December 17 at the Fine Arts Auditorium in Rawlins, residents from all over the County got to hear a choir and several combinations of instrumental groups, although the last song of the program was a duet of piano and cello which was “Carol of the Bells.” The song was a surprise addition to the program and it was a resounding hit.
The show was pulled together in a very short period of time, Damian Cesko, Rawlins Music Academy Director said.
Holly Foster who directed the Rawlins Community Choir reaffirmed this.
“We could not have done this without my choir being amazing,” Foster said. “I threw some difficult stuff at them and they accomplished it. I am very proud of them.”
The first practice was on November 28. Foster and Cesko, who is a tenor in the choir, said they learned the songs in three rehearsals and a dress rehearsal. This was true for the Carbon Strings which played after the choir and the Jubilante group which played music from Celtic carols to modern instrumental songs like “Baby it’s Cold Outside.”
As Jubilante director Stephanie Trimble started the program, she told the audience the cello player, Jerry Westerfield had not arrived from Encampment. She said they would start without him.
Westerfield arrived two songs into the set and there was enthusiastic applause as he sat down.
The group did a warm-up song with Westerfield and the concert continued.
Trimble talked to the audience between songs and the audience laughed with her when she made jokes.
It was a very warm atmosphere inside the Fine Arts Auditorium.
The concert ending with the “Carol by the Bells” by Westerfield and pianist John Hamblin was the right touch.
The audience gave a standing ovation.
Cesko pointed out that the concert almost didn’t happen because of the short time frame to pull it together.
“But it was decided by the directors that we could pull it off,” Cesko said. “Holly and Stephanie were rock stars tonight. They picked all the music and got everything done with next to no notice.”
Cesko also gave thanks to the audience and the community which supports the Rawlins Music Academy.
“We couldn’t do this without the support of the community,” Cesko said. “They are the ones who attend our fundraisers and our events. We are a local non-profit music group and we try to allow everyone who is able to participate and without community support, this just wouldn’t happen.”
The audience who attended the concerts on Sunday night were supportive. Cesko said he believes another concert will happen in April.
A night at the OK Corral
A couple of nights later on Tuesday evening, December 19, the Hanna Elementary School put on their annual musical which involves all the grades. Each year, Kit Felton, music and band teacher at the elementary school puts on an original play with many original songs too. The town of Hanna comes out in force to watch the kids perform.
This year they did a Western Christmas musical called “Christmas at the OK Corral”.
Before the play, the 5th and 6th grade band members played a medley of songs featuring many students in instrumental solos. When they concluded, the 3rd and 4th graders played “Santa’s Back in Town” on recorders.
Then the play started.
The story had Bubble Gum Bart played by Hunter Jones, a villain who wanted to do away with Christmas. The town had to send a message to Santa Claus for the Candy Cane Kid, played by Bella Pelt, to save Christmas. There were 12 roles in the play and the kids did a great job of remembering their lines. There was applause each time songs and dancing were completed. The younger grades on the sidelines also performed in the show several times. Their square dancing was fun to watch as the little ones moved around and switched partners.
At the end of the play Bubble Gum Bart is happy to welcome Christmas and the audience is left warmed with another successful play by Hanna Elementary School.
The Christmas concert season may be coming to a close, but the schools and organizations gave residents of Carbon County plenty of Christmas cheer to be remembered.
