By Thomas Sellers Jr.
On Dec. 14, the Millington Central Middle High School Bands turned down the lights of the Millington Performing Arts Center and cranked up the music for those in attendance.
Under the direction of Kreston Smith, Millington students grades seventh through 12th performed an array of tunes. Smith, the director of bands, stepped in for the absent Aaron Arnold, assistant director of bands, to conduct the Seventh Grade Band in the songs of “Twinkle Little Star,” “Jingle Bells,” “Ode to Joy,” and “Hard Rock’n Blues.” Next up was the Eighth Grade Band under the guidance of Smith. Their performance had a mixture of collaborative efforts and solos. The band opened with “O’Tannenbaum.”
Then the solos were performed by Addyson Bell (Silent Night), Lacey Drenning (Deck the Halls), Andrew Dupree (God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen), Ava Lowery (Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer), and Julianna Cook (What Child is This). Then the eighth graders finished up their portion of the concert with “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.” The meat of the concert menu was the Jazz Band. The quintet played “Pentatonic Blues,” “Christmas Time is Here,” “White Christmas,” and “Frosty the Snowman.”
The main event of the evening was the High School Band playing five songs starting with “Conga Line Christmas Parade.” Then the concert band finished the 2021 performance with “Christmas Flourish,” “Christmas Eve Sarajevo 24/7,” “In the Hall of the Mountain King,” and “Crazy Mixed Up Christmas.”
The sponsors recognized for assisting the marching band season, making it possible for the Trojans to compete and participate in local parades were Theresa Cook, affiliate broker for EXP Realty, Patriot Bank and Carey’s Body Shop.
Other sponsors of the 2021-22 season are Bethany Huffman CPA, Boatwright Drug, Diane and Don Lowry, Dennis Wages (ReMax Reality), Dynamix Physical Therapy, FANSZONE, Holy Faith UMC, Meri Paoletti, Millington Animal Hospital, Millington Area Chamber of Commerce, Reed’s Dentistry, Sherril’s Heat & Air, Tommy and Ginger Whitlock (ReMax Realty), Unistar Sparco CPU, Wiemar Jewelry and VFW Post 7175.
