ST. PAUL - A gymnasium filled with adoring family and school staff were eager to cheer on the Racette Junior High School band, as the school hosted its Christmas concert on Jan. 18.
The December concert was postponed due to extreme cold weather ahead of the Christmas break. Wednesday's concert also almost did not happen after most students were sent home early due to a power outage in St. Paul the same day.
But the 7:30 p.m. show went on, despite a "chaotic" day, which principal Andrea Austin says she was pleased to see.
Grade 7, 8 and 9 students performed a list of Christmas and other popular songs during the hour-long program, while Grade 6 students entertained with a few fun numbers on their recorders.
Band instructor and long-time teacher at Racette Jr. High School Marc Levasseur thanked the students for their hard work, noting that if there had been one more year of learning disruption due to the pandemic, the band program may have collapsed. But, students have worked hard to learn their instruments, and have exceeded Levasseur's expectations.
Students will now prepare for their annual spring concert, which could see some of the Grade 6 students move from their recorders to playing "real" instruments, according to Levasseur.
