By Robert Whitmire

The SPASH bands and orchestras will present their holiday concerts Tuesday, Dec.13 and Thursday, Dec.15 in the SPASH auditorium. Both concerts are set to begin at 7:30 PM.

The wind ensemble and wind symphony will take the stage Tuesday performing music by several well-known band composers, including “The Circus Bee March” by Henry Fillmore, “Sevens” by Sam Hazo and “Russian Sailors Dance” by Reinhold Gliere. The concert will end with a few holiday favorites to round out the program. Both groups are under the direction of Brad Schmidt.

The orchestra and chamber orchestra will be on stage Thursday evening with the string orchestra performing works by Henry Purcell, “The Vitamin String Quartet” and “Overture” arranged by Paul O’Neill, as performed by the Transiberian Orchestra, and features Anna Hansen on electric keyboard and Sean Hardiman on electric bass.

The SPASH Chamber Orchestra, consisting of advanced auditioned string players, will perform the “Overture to the Messiah.”

The orchestras are under the direction of Cindy Kiepert.

The evening culminates with the SPASH Symphony Orchestra playing Bacchanale from “Samson and Delilah,” which features Oboist, Luke Daniels, and the “Pirates of the Caribbean” with solo parts by Koppan Bodor, cello; Maddie King, flute; and Kelly Pudroski, trumpet.