This year’s annual winter concert came with a little change, not only was it held in January instead of December, but the middle school and high school performances were separated and placed onto two separate nights! This made the auditorium a little more spacious seeing as everyone had a seat available to them. Unlike past years when there were parents or family members left standing in the back to watch their student perform. 

The Manville High School choir sang a total of four songs and mixed in an acapella song that highlighted their individual voices which sounded absolutely beautiful. The band performed four memorable pieces, one of them being the annually played “Sleigh Ride.” 

Every year for many years now, this concert’s purpose has been to spread some seasonal cheer as well as to capture everything the music programs had been dedicatedly working on since the beginning of the school year. Hopefully, this event will continue to occur annually as it is one of the most popular ways the MHS music programs get to showcase their talents to the Manville community.

One of the most important and honorable pieces that the band contributed to the winter concert was “Salvation is Created.” This piece was rehearsed during the first four months of the 2022-2023 school year to ensure a perfect performance, and it didn’t disappoint. 

The band performed the piece at the concert and dedicated it to Mr. Robert Longstreet who passed away in September of 2022. He was a part of the Manville School District’s Music Program for over 25 years. Mr. Longstreet was always very passionate about the students and the music performance they put on; he was overjoyed about their talents and could not wait for them to showcase all that they had practiced for weeks. He had a very giving soul and always put students first, the students and staff felt with his dedication to the program that the least they could do is to dedicate such a beautiful piece in honor of his life and legacy. 

In addition to the memorable honoring of Mr.Robert Longstreet’s 25-plus years at Manville, the winter concert was a success as the MHS music members demonstrated all of their hard work and talent to all the members of the audience.