N-P musicians to dedicate concert to long-time accompanist

By Chris Baldus, cbaldus@charlescitypress.com

NASHUA — Nashua-Plainfield Junior and Senior High School’s musicians and vocalists are dedicating their concert Thursday in the memory of Bob Phillips, a longtime accompanist for the music program.

A Yamaha digital piano will also be dedicated in his name at the concert.

The junior high concert will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the gymnasium at the school in Nashua. The high school concert will follow at 7:30 p.m.

The director of the choirs is Melanie Johanningmeier and the director of the bands is Scott Stroud.

The Junior High Chorus will perform “Be a Santa Claus” by Greg Gilpin, “Deck the Halls” as arranged by Edwin Childs, “A Very Merry Christmas” by Robert Thygerson, and Joyce Eilers’s arrangement of “On a Silent Night,” accompanied by student Haley Rinken on flute.

The chorus will also perform “You’re a Mean One Mr. Grinch” as arranged by Jeff Funk. Students Taylor Claussen and Abby Reed will have spoken solos.

The Junior High Band will perform “Christmas Angels” as arranged by John Edmondson, “Abominable Snowman Chase” by Robert W. Smith, and “Santa’s Rockin’ Holiday Mix” as arranged by Patrick Roszell.

The Junior High Band will also perform Scott Watson’s “Up on a Haunted Housetop,” with student Tyler Lantz as the narrator.

The High School Band selections are “A Jingle Bells Fantasy” by James Swearingen, “O Little Town Of Bethlehem” transcribed by Jay Dawson, “Bobsled Run by Lloyd Conley and “Shalom!” by Philip Sparke.

The High School Jazz Band will perform a lineup of songs feature student solos.

Austin Lines on alto saxophone and Emily Hammond on trumpet will have solos during the performance of arrangement of “No ‘L’ In Swing” as arranged by Michael Story.

Tanner Striegel on trumpet and Lines will have solos during “My Favorite Things” as arranged by Paul Murtha.

Nathan Dettmer on tenor saxophone, Striegel and Hammond will have solos during “A Big Band Christmas” as arranged by Carl Strommen.

The  High School Choir will perform “Have a Merry One!” by Mary Lynn Lightfoot, “Snow” by Kenneth Riggs, “Sweet Little Jesus Boy” as arranged by Earlene Rentz, “Dig That Crazy Santa Claus” as arranged by Mac Huff, “How Far Is It To Bethlehem” as arranged by Mark Hayes, and Huff’s arrangement of “Feliz Navidad,” which will be accompanied by student percussionists Sam Hake and Kacie Eliasen.

Phillips, 69, died in June when a pickup driven by a 50-year-old Marble Rock man struck the bicycle he was riding. Phillips was preparing to ride the full RAGBRAI route with family members when he was hit on a loop he regularly used for training between Charles City and Nashua.

According to his obituary, Phillips had deep ties in Nashua and beyond.

He was a vocal music instructor in Lake Mills and Greene for four years, before he went to work for B & W Foods in Greene and Nashua. After several years, he purchased the business renaming it B & D Foods, which he owned and operated until its closing in 2009.

As the music director at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Nashua, he played the organ, directed the choir and sang at many parish weddings and funerals.

He directed the community chorus in Nashua for many years. He also helped with technical lighting and sound for many of the Nashua-Plainfield High School plays and musicals.

In Charles City, Phillips sang in the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church choir and with the Charles City Singers.

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