Oil City Middle and High School Choirs

  Oil City High School Music Department presents its annual…   Holiday Concert   Daniel J. Cartwright - Instrumental Director Steven W. Luxbacher - Choral Director   Narrators : Emily Bly, Payton Burk, Eric Goughler, Kaleigh McDonald, Johnathan Pardee, Jaden Wagner, and Alexandra Webster   P ROGRAM The Bass Choir Ut Queant Laxis - Guido di Arezzo Translation: So that your servants may, with loosened voices Resound the wonders of your deeds, Clean the guilt from our stained lips, O Saint John   Your skeptic father, doubting Heaven’s promise Promptly and fully lost all voice and language But what was taken, ruined past all healing Your birth restored it.   We praise the Father and the Son begotten; We praise the Spirit, who has equal power. One God and holy for all times and seasons, all generations. Amen. Good King Wenceslas  - Traditional, arr. Ruth Elaine Schram I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas - John Rox   Blond-ish Nursery Rhymes

This week's Middle School and High School Concerts will be livestreamed for those wanting to watch from home.  Links are below: Tuesday Night, December 21 - MS Holiday Concert https://youtu.be/Oxp7lYIXFEs Broadcast will start a little before 7:00 pm Wednesday Night, December 22 - HS Holiday Concert https://youtu.be/MKiUJUuImks Broadcast will start a little before 7:30 pm. Please feel free to share with friends and family.    Thanks to Mrs. Jennifer Mosher-Johnson and the OCHS Media Crew for covering the performances.

  Oil City Area Middle School  Music Department presents its annual   Holiday Concert   December 21 , 20 21 7: 00 pm Oil City MS / HS Auditorium   PROGRAM The Sixth Grade Chorus Mr. Jeff Brown - Director Light the Candles - Sally Albrecht and Lois Brown Sing Merry Christmas! - Molly Pasutti and David Scheibner, arr. Keith Christopher African Alleluia  - Benjamin Harlan Dona Nobis Pacem  - Traditiona;     T he Seventh Grade Chorus M r . Steven Luxbacher - Director   It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year! - Eddie Pola and George Wyle, arr. Hawley Ades Hine Ma Tov   - arr. Allan Naplan Translation: Behold how good and how pleasing for brothers to sit together in unity. Nuttin' for Christmas  - arr. Linda Spevacek VADA BROSIUS AND MADELYN GARLAND - SOLOISTS The Riding of the Kings  - arr. Phillip Lawson JAYDA ROBINSON - SOLOIST The Eighth Grade Chorus Mr. Steven Luxbacher - Director Welcome One and Welcome All - Audrey Snyder God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen  - arr. El

     The students of the Oil City Middle and Senior High School Bands and Choirs are excited to present to you their annual holiday concerts next week.   We are especially excited since this will be the first set of concerts we have performed in the high school auditorium since the holiday concerts of 2019.   We know that you will enjoy the fruits of the students’ labor.      In preparation for these performances next week, we would like to review report times and dress code with you, in case your student has not passed along the information.   Information is below: TUESDAY, DECEMBER 21 ST : MIDDLE SCHOOL HOLIDAY CONCERT – 7:00 PM ·         Report time for students is 6:30 pm ·         Dress is dress shoes, black dress pants, and white dress shirt for all groups.   Men are encouraged to wear ties, and women are welcome to wear a tie or scarf if they wish (can be holiday themed).   Santa hats can be worn by the chorus during the final number. ·         Concert is free and open

  Itinerary: 8:20 am                After the End of 1st Period - Choir released from class.  Report to Auditorium 8:40 am                Busses arrive at high school in rear - load 8:45 am                Busses depart for Hasson 9:00 am                Arrive at Hasson 9:15 am                First Performance at Hasson for grades K-2 9:40 am                Performance Ends  9:55 am                Second Performance at Hasson for grades 3-4 10:20 am              Performance ends – Board busses for Seventh  10:40 am              Arrive at Seventh 10:50 am              Performance at Seventh  11:15 am              Depart for Smedley 11:25 am              Performance at Smedley 11:50 am              Performance Ends – Board Busses and  HEAD TO HIGH SCHOOL 12:05 – 12:50 pm    LUNCH AT HIGH SCHOOL - PLEASE NOTE CHANGE - STUDENTS WILL NOT NEED MONEY FOR LUNCH 12:50 pm              Board Busses and Head to Belle Lettres Club 1:15 pm                Performance for the Belle Lettres Club Member

Due to circumstances beyond our control, Oil City High School's production of "The Addams Family" has been postponed. The show must and will go on, but the new show dates will now be March 17, 18, and 19, 2022. Show times will be at 7:30, and any tickets already distributed will be good for any night of production. The cast, crew, and orchestra are excited to bring this production to you, and we look forward to doing so mid-March!

Congratulations to the following students who will be participating in the PMEA District 3 Choral Festival in February 11th and 12th at Punxsutawney High School. Alex Webster - Soprano 1 Hannah Krug - Alto 1 Jaxon Knox - Alto 2 Mason Stephens - Tenor 1 Matthew Myers - Tenor 2 Eric Goughler - Bass 1 Congratulations!

 Musical Rehearsal Schedule this Week - Week of November 1, 2021 MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1ST,  4 - 6 PM - ACT I, SCENES 1, 3, 4, AND 12 TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2ND, 4 - 6 PM - ACT I, SCENES 2, 5, 7, 8, AND 9 WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3RD, 3:30 - 5:30 PM - MUSIC REVIEW THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 4TH, 6:30 - 8:30 PM ACT I, SCENES 6, 10, AND 11 CHOREO - TANGO DI AMOR POSSIBLE SCENES TO BE ADDED FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5TH, 6:30 - 8:30 PM ACT I PUT TOGETHER WITH TECH AND ORCHESTRA SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 6TH, 2:00 - 6:00 PM CHOREOGRAPHY - FINISH AND CLEAN ALL DANCES  

For those of you who are returning in the fall and joining us in the high school choirs, you are invited to audition for the Rhapsody in Blues and our Barbershop Quartets. Rhapsody in Blues is our contemporary A Cappella ensemble, and will meet during the 10th period next year. Quartets are just that - 4 singers. We have a men's and a women's group. Those groups will meet after school. Currently, we have openings in all parts for the Rhapsodies, and three out of the four parts in the quartets. This would be a great time for you to start with these groups. For the Rhapsodies Audition, I am going to ask you to sing about a minute to a minute and a half of a song you like to sing a cappella. What I am looking for is if you can sing strongly, and hold the pitch, as well as have a sense of steady beat. You can either stop down to the choir room and do it live before the end of the day on Monday, June 7th, or send me a video recording over email (sluxbacher@mail.ocasd.org). For the q

Due to the prospect of inclement weather, we have decided to move the MS Band and Chorus tonight indoors to the High School Gymnasium. Concert will still start at 6:30 PM. To review: Report Time 6:00 PM in Auditorium for band and choir members. Parents - please drop your students off at the auditorium doors (1st entrance to the MS/HS Complex), then go to the second entrance to park by the HS Gym. Seating in the high school gymnasium will be limited to 3 tickets per choir/band member. Students received tickets today in class. EVERYONE MUST PRESENT A TICKET TO ENTER. We are limited to 346 attendees in the gymnasium, along with the band and choir. All attendees will need to be masked at all times.  Families should keep 6 feet of distance between themselves and other audience members. Please contact Mr. Luxbacher or Mr. Cartwright with any questions.

BOTH NIGHTS OUTSIDE AT STADIUM: - Report Time 6:00 PM at Stadium (since there is no sound check, choirs will not need to be earlier than 6:00) - Section will be roped off on the ends of the home bleachers for band and choirs.  Audience should sit in the middle.   - All attendees are required to follow all CDC and PA Department of Health guidelines with regards to masking and social distancing. - Concerts start at 6:30 PM.  If outside, concert is free and open to the public.   - Students will receive 2 programs in class on concert day for families.  Additional programs can be downloaded at the following web addresses: SWING OUT:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OcEq60B9H6H6HwW6a2clNTXz7vfIZWId/view?usp=sharing MIDDLE SCHOOL BAND AND CHORUS:   https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OcKXhr3XtWaDt8raoPyx78WZlbHW4PaE/view?usp=sharing BOTH NIGHTS INSIDE IN GYMNASIUM (IN EVENT OF RAIN) - Report Time 6:00 PM in Auditorium for band and choir members - Seating in the high school gymnasium will be lim

Due to some unforeseen challenges that presented themselves over the weekend, we will be moving the 74th Annual Swing Out and the Middle School Spring Band and Chorus Concert to Oil City High School Stadium.  Swing Out will be on Tuesday, May 25th at 6:30 PM (note change in time) with the Swing Out Court Presentation at 6:30, and the concert immediately following.  The Middle School Band and Chorus Concert will take place on Wednesday, May 26th at 6:30 PM (note change in time).  Both concerts are free and open to the public.  Should we need to move inside, concert will be moved to the High School Gymnasium, and seating will be limited to 50% capacity.  Students will be issued a limited number of tickets for the inside performance, and the concert will be live-streamed.  Concert attendees are encouraged to follow all CDC guidelines with regards to masking and social distancing.

The Oil City Middle and High School Music Department is excited to be able to perform public concerts again, beginning with this spring season.   Since we have returned to full face to face instruction in January, the students have been working extremely hard to prepare the concerts you will soon see.   The dates for the spring concerts are:   SWING OUT (HS BANDS AND CHOIRS): Tuesday, May 25 th .   Presentation of the Swing Out Court at 6:00 PM.   Concert Begins between 6:30 and 6:45 PM.   MS SPRING CONCERT (MS BANDS AND CHORUSES): Wednesday, May 26 th .   Concert will begin at 6:00 PM.   Both concerts will take place at Justus Park in downtown Oil City.   Report time will be 5:00 for the choirs for a brief sound check.   In the event of inclement weather, we will move to Trinity United Methodist Church on Center Street.   Both concerts will be free and open to the public, but seating will be limited if we move inside.     Dress for the concert this year will not be li

Below is the link to the 2021 National Association for Music Education All-Eastern Honors Mixed Choir.  Students rehearsed over three days and submitted recordings of their music to be included in the virtual honor choir.  Congratulations to Layla Hollis, who performed as part of the choir in the Soprano 1 Section.  (You can see an excerpt of her performance at around 3:05 on the video.  She is in the second row from the bottom, third one in from the left).

       T he Oil City 150 committee has invited the Oil City High School Band, and the Oil City Middle / High School choirs to participate in the Oil City 150 Kickoff Ceremony, to be held on Sunday, April 11, 2021 at Justus Park.   This is exciting for us in multiple ways.   First, it is an honor to be invited to participate in this historic commemoration detailing the history of our community.   Secondly, this marks the first public performance for the Oil City Music Department since the holiday concerts in December 2019.   We hope that you and your student will thoughtfully consider participating in this event.        If you student chooses to participate, I would ask that they arrive at Justus Park by noon, so that we may setup our seating area and perform a sound check for the ceremony.   Students are asked to wear dress clothes, as this is a formal ceremony, and students will need also need a chair and a face mask.   If you do not have appropriate clothing or a chair to send the

Congratulations to Oil City High School Choir Seniors Layla Hollis and Roman Hulver for qualifying to participate in the 2021 Pennsylvania Music Educator's Association All State Choral Festival.  Both students placed in the top four in the Soprano 1 and Tenor 1 sections, respectively, and will participate in the virtual festival, to be held April 14-17.  Guest Conductor for this event will be Dr. Rachel Cornacchio from Messiah College. #OilerProud

Congratulations to the following Oil City High School Choir members who placed in the top 10 of their sections and are moving on to the PMEA Region II / All State Audition in March: Emily Downing - Alto 2 Emily Gates - Soprano 1 Layla Hollis - Soprano 1 Roman Hulver - Tenor 1 Hannah Krug - Alto 1 Alex Webster - Soprano 1 #Oilerproud!

We are happy to announce that Oil City High School Choir Senior Layla Hollis has been named to the National Association for Music Education's All-Eastern Honors Choir.  These musicians were selected from 1150 All-State applicants and ranked by their state presidents to fill five ensembles. The Orchestra (165), Symphonic Band (146), Mixed Chorus (270), Treble Chorus (120) and Jazz Ensemble (18), will be participating in a "Virtual Weekend” experience March 4-6, 2021 that will include keynote speakers, masterclasses with professional musicians, rehearsals with their conductors as well as opportunities to learn and network with colleges and universities of various types and participate in mock auditions.  Layla is the first Oil City High School student to earn this honor since the 1990s.  #Oilerproud!

With all of the turmoil in the world right now, I thought this would be appropriate for today. This is the 2020 A Cappella Choir's virtual rendition of Elaine Hagenberg's "I Will Be a Child of Peace."

Throughout the course of the weekend, the final virtual choir audio files will be going up on the Music Department Concert Archive.  Once they are all done, I will put them together with visuals for a final product, but I wanted to get them out ASAP so that families could hear their students' hard work.  6th Grade Chorus and Bass Choir were added this morning.  Treble Choir should go in tonight, and 7th and 8th Grade Chorus and A Cappella should be in by the end of the day Sunday.  Thank you to the students for their hard work, and for everyone for their patience as I edited and mixed down the files.  This haas been quite the learning experience for all of us.  Hope you had a wonderful Holiday Season, and I look forward to working with the students back at school soon! Link to the Archive: http://oilcityhschoirs.blogspot.com/p/music-department-concert-archive.html Click on Concerts 2020-2021, and then Virtual MS-HS Holiday Concert 2020.