School groups spread music throughout Charles City during holiday season

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

The most wonderful time of the year can be a busy time of the year for Charles City School District musical groups.

Singers and instrumentalists ranging from the elementary school select choir to high school band and orchestra groups provide seasonal entertainment at more than a dozen locations throughout the community.

Bethany Ott, grades 5-12 orchestra director, told the Charles City Rotary Club after a performance by the high school Wire Choir — an eight-member string instrument ensemble — that the club’s noon meeting Monday was already the fifth stop of the day for the students, and they had two more performances after that.

“We enjoy our day out in the community, sharing our music and hopefully making your day a little happier,” Ott said.

She said by this time of the year the groups have been working together for a semester and have gone through all the preparation for their winter concerts, so they are performing well together and don’t need a lot of guidance through their run-out performances in the community.

The Wire Choir’s itinerary on Monday included KCHA radio, TLC: The Learning Center, Aromas, the Senior Center, Rotary Club, Apple Valley Assisted Living and Riverside Assisted Living.

The run-outs began last Thursday and Friday, and will continue through this week.

School musical groups participating are the Charles City elementary school select choir and middle school choir; high school jazz groups Rhymes with Orange, 2JazzedUp and Here Comes Trouble; the middle school band; high school band; high school jazz band; high school orchestra Wire Choir; and marimba gig group Isaak Jensen and Hayden Pleggenkuhle.

The remaining schedule is:

• Tuesday, Dec. 17 — high school band — 8:10 a.m. KCHA; 9 a.m. Aromas; 10:30 a.m. Riverside Assisted Living; noon Comet Bowl; 2:15 p.m. Apple Valley Assisted Living.

• Wednesday, Dec. 18 — Charles City elementary school select choir — 9 a.m. Apple Valley Assisted Living; 9:45 a.m. Aromas; 11:30 a.m. 9th St. Chautauqua; 1 p.m. Riverside Assisted Living.

• Thursday, Dec. 19 — high school jazz groups Rhymes with Orange, 2JazzedUp and Here Comes Trouble — 8:10 a.m. KCHA; 9 a.m. McDonald’s; 9:45 a.m. Aromas; 10:30 a.m. 11th St. Chautauqua; 1 p.m. First Security Bank.

• Friday, Dec. 20 — middle school choir — 8:10 a.m. KCHA; 9:30 a.m. Aromas; 10:15 a.m. 11th St. Chautauqua; 11:15 a.m. Charles City Senior Center; noon 9th St. Chautauqua.

Other places the groups have performed are First Citizens Bank, the Rotary Club and TLC: The Learning Center.