Laura Power
Northern News Services
Published Monday, December 3, 2007

IQALUIT - Many of Iqaluit's musicians will get together tomorrow night for the annual community Christmas Concert at Inuksuk high school.

The concert is a joint production of the school and The Iqaluit Music Society.

Along with several of the school's bands, including the guitar ensemble, the junior band and the senior band there will also be a choral performance and some entertainment by the stage band, which is made up of students and adults alike.

According to Peter Workman, director of the Iqaluit Community Choir, his group sings a mixture of songs ranging from religious tunes to Broadway numbers.

Adrian Fernandes, a music teacher at the high school, has been working at the school for three years and said he's seen improvement in the quality of the music being played there.

"Some of the students have progressed quite a bit," he said.

The talented students include Ellen McCarville, a Grade 10 student who plays alto saxophone, and Nino Liptak, another Grade 10 student who plays the trombone. These two will each play solos during the performance by the senior band.

As a last minute addition to the lineup, another Grade 10 student, Emmanuel Morakinyo, will also go solo by singing My Romance.

"I think right now at this point that it's going to work, so I'm just going to put it in there," said Fernandes.

Fernandes added he will also perform on piano with the senior and stage bands.

Though the groups may range in talent from beginner to experienced, Fernandes said the whole evening should be good for the guests.

"I think overall for the parents it's a good package, but I would say the stage band would definitely be the highlight," he said. "If people come it'll be a good show for them ... it was a good show last Christmas and it'll be a good show this Christmas."

He explained how a Christmas concert such as this one - or music in general - can help people get into the holiday spirit.

"Good music feeds the human spirit and that's what Christmas should do as well," he said.

The concert will take place at Inuksuk high school Tuesday, Dec. 4 beginning at 7:30 p.m. In addition to the choir performance, the three high school groups will play two songs each and the stage band will perform three.