The senior citizen luncheon offers a preview of the annual Westfield High School Band Pops Concert.
Members of Westfield High School's band put on a special preview of their annual Pops Concert for senior citizens recently.
WESTFIELD – It was a stroll down Broadway while dining on egg, tuna and ham salad for nearly 200 seniors at Westfield High School’s annual Pops Concert for seniors recently.
Westfield High School band, its jazz combo and jazz ensemble provided classics ranging from Pennies from Heaven to Duke Ellington in Concert and Irving Berlin Showstoppers.
The free Pops Concert and luncheon, sponsored by the band, WHS culinary arts students and Mayor Daniel and Trisha Knapik marked its sixth annual preview of the band’s annual Pops Concert. This year’s tribute is to the great ‘American Songbook’ marked the 59th annual band event.
“Events like this get the seniors out, they get to hear great music and just enjoy the afternoon,” said Elizabeth A. Talmadge, a 1952 WHS graduate.
Husband Everett H. Talmadge said the concert and luncheon gives alumni a chance to return to the school. A 1949 graduate, Talmadge said “It is nice to see young people perform. They are quite professional.”
Music director Patrick T. Kennedy said the concert is “a great thing. It gives students a change to perform for an audience that is very appreciative.”
Lexi M. Wegiel, 18, one of the 135 band members, said “I love this so much. They (seniors) are the demographic that loves jazz.” Wegiel sings with both the big band and jazz combo.
“It is nice to see so many people from the community here to hear our music,” added guitar player Jake J. Bellows, 17.
Wegiel said the senior luncheon concert “gives us a chance, along with them, to preview our pops concert.”
Bellows said “our audience usually is our parents and other students.”
Bellows and Wegiel said band members begin preparations for the concert in September.
Culinary Arts students, under direction of instructor Margaret Toomey, also look forward the event to show off the skills they have learned during the year.
“I like this, It is a good community project for our school and for our class. We are serving and they need to eat,” Kelsey v. Monteleone, 17, said of the senior lunch guests. “We prepared enough to serve more than 300 people today,” she explained.
“I think it is great to invite senior citizens to our school for things like this. I like doing it. It is kind of like us helping our community,” Casey A. Willey, 17.