The COVID-19 pandemic may have affected a lot of things, but that does not mean it has taken away the Christmas spirit for Niagara Region students.
Instead of traditional Christmas concerts, over 100 students from 11 secondary schools have banded together to create a virtual Christmas performance.
The District School Board of Niagara is calling the performance, DSBN Holiday Virtual Ensemble. Students from across the region recorded themselves playing the song “Holiday Bobsled Run” on their instruments at home and these recordings have been put together to create a virtual holiday experience.
“Even though we can’t perform together in the way we usually do, students excitedly took a new opportunity to make music,” said Kathaleen McNeil, Consultant of Curriculum for Secondary at the DSBN. “What a lot of students love about music is being part of a team and working with others to create something special. Music really does bring us together.”
The participating schools include:
- A.N. Myer Secondary School, Niagara Falls
- Beamsville District Secondary School, Lincoln
- DSBN Academy, St. Catharines
- E.L. Crossley Secondary School, Fonthill
- Eastdale Secondary School, Welland
- Governor Simcoe Secondary School, St. Catharines
- Grimsby Secondary School, Grimsby
- Laura Secord Secondary School, St. Catharines
- Sir Winston Secondary School, St. Catharines
- St. Catharines Collegiate, St. Catharines
- Westlane Secondary School, Niagara Falls