‘Supper and Sounds’ to highlight high school arts programs
By Curt Nettinga

HOT SPRINGS – December 12-14 will be a weekend of fine art and music in the Hot Springs area, starting with the Hot Springs Elementary School Christmas Concert on Friday night and concluding with the community choir’s presentations of selections from Handel’s Messiah on Sunday evening. Those events bookend a one-of-a-kind event in the area.

Those in attendance on Saturday night, will have a unique opportunity to hear and see the Arts Departments of Hot Springs High School – band, chorus and fine arts departments – in one place at one time.

“Supper and Sounds,” a vision of Hot Springs Band Director Truman Savery, will include all of the different bands under his direction. In addition, the various singing groups under the baton of Shannon Livesay will present concerts. The whole event begins at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 13, at the Mueller Civic Center.

Dinner is being catered from the Winners Circle, so people are asked to get their tickets early, to insure that there is plenty to eat.

The event will be the Christmas concert for the instrumental and vocal music departments from the middle and high schools.

But the added twist is the addition of a selection of works from the classroom of high school art teacher Jim Hayes.

“Basically what we are going to have is all of the bands – 5th grade, 6th grade, 7th and 8th grades and the high school – in one concert with the different choirs – while Mr. Hayes has his student’s art projects on display.”

People will be able to arrive and be greeted in the center area of the Mueller Center by a collection of the artwork – offered for sale – and produced by students at the high school.

For Hayes, he sees it as a showcase of work his students have done, which many people may not be aware of. “Music will be the draw, with the band and chorus having their Christmas concerts,” Hayes said. “But including the art students gives the community a chance to see what these students can do.

“We have some very good, very creative young artists in the community and I hope everyone can make plans to come see the artwork. I always say that I have the best teaching job in the district, because I get to work with these kids every day.”

Hayes said that there will be paintings, some drawings and some computer graphics arts which have been created on the school’s new laptops. All will be available for sale.

Hayes will also be offering a painting for sale as well. All proceeds from art sales will be plowed back to supplement the art department budget, said Hayes.

Those with tickets can head in for dinner, which will begin at 4 p.m. and will continue throughout the evening. The concerts will begin at approximately 4:45 p.m., when the 5th grade band gets things started. The 6th grade band and the 7th and 8th grade bands will follow.

Attendees have the option of getting a bite to eat before heading into the concert, or can catch one of the early band performances before getting dinner.

The 6th-grade choir, and then the 7th and 8th grade combined choirs will follow the middle school bands, before the high school choir and the Les Chanteurs take the stage around 7:15 p.m. The high school band will close the show at 8 p.m.

The next afternoon, on Sunday at 3 p.m., the Hot Springs Community Choir will be presenting selections from Handel’s “Messiah.”

Former Chadron State College music professor Dr. Jackson Hammit will be providing the accompaniment and Savery will share director duties with Patricia Martin, elementary school music teacher.

Tickets are available at the Hot Springs Middle School office. Prices for the Saturday night dinner are $6 for children under 12 and $8 for 13 and older. Reservations by Dec. 5 are required for the dinner event.

Tickets for the Sunday performance of the Messiah are $6.