Heisey Wind Ensemble to play annual Christmas concert Dec. 9

Special to Newark Advocate
·2 min read

The Heisey Wind Ensemble will present their annual Christmas concert on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023 in the Lawrence E. Griffin Performing Arts Center at Newark High School. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. with pre-concert music starting at 6:45 p.m. by the HWE Trombone players.

Director Russ Mikkelson leads a rehearsal of the Heisey Wind Ensemble at the Reese Center.
Director Russ Mikkelson leads a rehearsal of the Heisey Wind Ensemble at the Reese Center.

Dr. Russel Mikkelson, Music Director and Principal Conductor, has titled the concert "A Hometown Christmas" and will feature traditional Christmas carols, new selections HWE has not performed in the past, and you for the annual Christmas Sing-along! Song titles include "A Christmas Celebration" by Kenny Bierschenk, "A Christmas Portrait" arranged by Jerry Nowak, "In the Bleak Midwinter" by Gustav Holst, "The Nativity" by Gary Fry, a new narration piece titled "The Day After Christmas" by Gary Fry and the famous "Sleigh Ride" by Leroy Anderson.

Featured vocal soloists with the Heisey Wind Ensemble on this concert are Katherine Rohrer, mezzo soprano, and Katie Kuvin. Rohrer is an assistant professor of voice at Ohio State University. Kuvin graduated from Ohio State with duel undergraduate degrees in flute performance and choral music education.

The HWE, formed in 1985, has been recognized as one of Ohio's finest adult concert bands. Membership is by audition only and includes outstanding musicians from Licking, Franklin, Fairfield, Guernsey, Delaware, Coshocton, Knox, and Muskingum counties. The band has been selected to perform at conventions of the Ohio Music Education Association and the American School Band Directors Association.

The remaining concerts this season are all at the Reese Center on the Newark Campus of OSU and COTC, and start at 7:30 p.m. Those concerts are slated for Jan. 29, Feb. 24, April 20, and May 18.

Tickets for HWE concerts are available only at the door. Adults are $15, seniors (60+) are $10 and students are $5. Additional information can be found at the band’s web site at www.heiseywindensemble.org.

Information submitted by the Heisey Wind Ensemble.

This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Heisey Wind Ensemble to play annual Christmas concert Dec. 9