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Hilltop celebrates Christmas around the world
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Second-grade students performed all the hand motions to the American holiday classic “Up on the Housetop/Jolly Old St. Nicholas.”
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Second-grade students at Hilltop Elementary School presented the annual Holidays Around the World program led by Tom Scurich, Hilltop music teacher and accompanied by Roni Sue Gregory on the piano and Nanette Midgley on the guitar.
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A number of second-grade students sang solo parts of “The Friendly Beasts” of Southern Europe, while dressed in costume during Hilltop Elementary School’s annual Holidays Around the World program Dec. 20.
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Second-grade students at Hilltop Elementary School took their families, friends and schoolmates on a whirlwind trip around the world Dec. 20 during the Holidays Around the World program.
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The Lullaby Chorus of second-graders sang “Christmas Lullaby” of Eastern Europe during Hilltop Elementary School’s annual Holidays Around the World program Dec. 20.
By ABBY SLANKER
Second-grade students at Hilltop Elementary School took their families, friends and schoolmates on a whirlwind trip around the world Dec. 20.
The students presented the school’s annual Holidays Around the World in front of an audience that packed the gymnasium. The students were led by Tom Scurich, Hilltop music teacher, and were accompanied by Roni Sue Gregory on the piano and Nanette Midgley on the guitar.
Cathy Mowry, Hilltop Elementary School principal, welcomed the standing-room-only crowd to the holiday event.
“We are about to enjoy the best holiday gift of all — the gift of song from children,” she said.
The students entered the gym singing “Joy to the World” and, throughout the program, performed such songs as “O Christmas Tree,” of Germany, “O Come, Little Children,” of Scandinavia, “The Friendly Beasts,” of Southern Europe, “Christmas Lullaby,” of Eastern Europe, “Deck the Halls,” of Great Britain, “O Hanukkah,” of Israel and Jewish Nation, “The Pinata Song,” of Mexico, “Harambee,” African-American, “Up on the Housetop/Jolly Old St. Nicholas,” of the United States and “We Are The Family,” by Ray Repp.
Each song represented its country of origin and in between numbers, students read the holiday traditions of the countries highlighted. For example, before singing “O Christmas Tree,” a student noted that Germany was the first country to have the Christmas tree. Before singing “Harambee,” a student noted that Kwanzaa was created in 1966 for people to remember their African roots.
During certain songs, the students broke into small groups to act out a country’s holiday tradition or to dance to the song. A number of students sang solo parts of “The Friendly Beasts” while dressed in costume and the second-grade Lullaby Chorus sang “Christmas Lullaby.”
During “Deck the Halls,” students went up on stage and hung candy canes on a Christmas tree and while singing “The Pinata Song,” students sported sombreros and played the maracas.
The audience joined the students in singing “Silent Night” to close the program. The students sang the first verse in German and for the second verse, all joined in to sing the holiday classic in English.
Scurich noted that the song was composed by Franz Gruber and was first sung in Austria.