Rockin’ out arrangements of familiar holiday tunes performed by Erik Hermanson’s Holiday Band was the mainstay attraction at Monday’s fifth annual Evening of Jazz. The event was held in the school commons.
Before the performance, Amanda Whiteis’ Culinary Arts class served hors d’oeuvres and desserts.
Free will donations collected will be placed under the Christmas tree of Dollars for Scholars’ for allocating to the 2026 seniors and stuffed into the stockings of the Family & Consumer Science and music programs.
“It’s my favorite day of the year,” said Dollars for Scholars committee member and event organizer Peggy Peterson.
Accompanied by the band, Vivian Hilfer sang “Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer” and “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.” Other selections performed by the Holiday Band were “Sleigh Ride,” “Walking in a Winter Wonderland,” “Oh Christmas Tree,” “Mary Don’t You Know,” “Oh Holy Night,” “All I Want for Christmas is You” and “Hot Chocolate.”
Isabel Duron was the punch server.
Alissa Gibbs watches her grandmother, Rita McCabe, proceed through the hors d’oeuvres and dessert table.
Hors d’oeuvres cups were stuffed with cold meat, cheese and pastries.
The serving staff included James Gehrke, Cole Stocker, Ethan Thompson, Chris Mendez, Daniel McClune, Jackson Fowler and Isabel Duron.
Made by Amanda Whiteis and her daughter, the table decorations could be purchased at the end of the event.
Doormen were Sam Ternes, Aiden Domras and Jackson Shouler.
Trumpeters Tony Hollerich, Owen Lloyd and August Keltgen
Vivian Hilfer sang “Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer” and “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.”
The audience occupied much of the commons.
Members of the 2025 Holiday Band, from L-R, front row: Owen Lloyd (trumpet), August Keltgen (trumpet) and Elijah Johnson (trombone). Second row: Tony Hollerich (trumpet), Ceclia Gair (tenor saxophone), Clara Hilfer (lead guitar), Vivian Hilfer (keyboards), Sierra McCabe (baritone saxophone), Madison Wollschlager (alto saxophone), Dacota Lotspeich (bass guitar), Taylor Wolf (alto saxophone) and Director Erik Hermanson. Back row: Wyatt Williams (percussion), Ben Traxler (percussion), Jackson Wille (trombone), Carter Kern (tenor saxophone), Anna Kawatski-Klein (baritone saxophone), Elijah Mons (bass guitar), Emma Bluhm (flute) and Vanessa Wondra (clarinet). Keltgen, Wille, Kawatski-Klein, McCabe, Mons, Lotspeich, Traxler and the Hilfer sisters were also members of the Holiday Band last year.
Video: Samples of some of the numbers