The annual Christmas band concert once again filled Oakville High School on Dec. 12 with holiday spirit as families, students and community members gathered to listen to holiday music played by Bernard and Oakville Middle School students and then the Oakville High School band.
“It is so Christmassy, it brings up the mood,” Sophia Nelsen (10) said, describing the energy that spreads through the gym the moment the first song begins.
The young musicians spend weeks rehearsing, perfecting pieces that will eventually fill the room with sleigh bells and familiar melodies. For many, one song rose above the rest in both difficulty and fun.
“’Santa Baby’ is the most fun to play compared to the other ones,” Norah Brandt (12) said. “It goes on forever.”
The song’s mix of solos and upbeat style made it a favorite among band members. Several students predicted it would be the audience favorite as well. Though the piece is lively onstage, the work behind it proved challenging.
“The hardest part is the music being memorized,” Nelsen said.
Others found different aspects of preparation tougher. While some students struggled with memorization or articulation, a few admitted that the early warm-ups tested their endurance more than the music itself.
“Warm-ups make me sleepy, and I can’t stay awake,” Brandt said.
But once rehearsal ends and the concert approaches, the band transforms from tired students into excited performers. Every musician seems to have their own routine, some calm, some chaotic.
“Yelling at my sister to leave because we have to be on time,” Oliver Nelsen (12) said.
The concert isn’t only for entertainment, though, as it also allows the middle schoolers to get a feel for what high school is.
“It’s mainly for the middle schoolers to see the high schoolers and be like ‘wow,’” Carter Oetting (12) said.
That sense of community and shared excitement is part of why the holiday concert continues to be such a beloved tradition. Whether it’s the solos in ‘Santa Baby,’ the jazz of ‘Jingle Bell Jam’ or the tradition of gathering to celebrate the season, the Christmas band concert continues to bring the community together year after year.
“This year’s concert is really fun,” Alyssa Boehlje (12) said.”Everyone has a lot of Christmas spirit.”
![Simon Thompson (12) poses for a photo with his family. "One thing that I miss from Germany is just how everything's fresh made. They don't have a whole bunch of processed stuff. So [I miss] bakeries, German bakeries," Thompson said. Thompson has family in Dieburg, Germany.](https://myohsonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/e0021c45-1c9f-489d-bf95-57f9f1f1599d-1200x554.jpeg)
