Butler choirs orchestrate ‘Winter Wonderland’
Families in the Butler Area School District were glowing with Christmas spirit under the lights of the Winter Wonderland Extravaganza Saturday afternoon.
Preceding a choral concert of holiday classics at the Butler Intermediate High School, children participated in activities led by students of Butler Tornado Varsity Voices, which include ninth to 12th grade students, and the sixth grade choirs.
Bryan Helsel, chair of the Senior High School music department, said the extravaganza was created after his colleague had success with a similar Halloween event.
“It’s modeled after the Spooktacular, where students decorate the halls and hand out candy to concert attendees,” he said. “I thought it was such a brilliant idea, I thought we should do it for Christmas.”
Helsel said students helped decorate the school’s hallways with twinkle lights, wrapping paper, Christmas trees, and snow for nearly three hours the day before.
“And some elves came last night to help,” he said.
“Reindeer games” were arranged outside the auditorium, including places for a snowball toss, karaoke, face painting, and ornament decorating.
Attendees were invited to decorate Christmas cupcakes and walk the decked halls.
Lucy McFall, a 10th grade student in the choir, passed out prizes to children who did well in the snow ball toss. She said she thought the event was a fun addition to the choir schedule.
“I think it’s going great so far, I hope it’ll continue in future years,” she said.
Kathryn Bushre, of Butler, said her daughters, Addy and Nadia, were performing in the concert, and that her whole family was enjoying the games.
“We made reindeer food, which the kids can sprinkle outside so the reindeer know to come to our house at Christmas,” she said. “I loved walking through the hallway of lights.”
Children were in for a surprise down that hallway, as Santa sat waiting to hear what they wanted for Christmas.
Kylie Smith, of Butler, said she attended the concert to watch her sister perform.
“(The concert) gets a lot of people out, but it also spreads some Christmas joy,” she said.
Jessica Cooper, of Butler, said her group was enjoying the games and candy cane prizes.
“I think they put a lot of work into (this), we had a lot of fun,” she said.
Before the concert began, children were invited on stage as Santa read them “The Night Before Christmas.” Then, the choirs led familiar favorites like “Hot Chocolate” from the film “Polar Express,” and a rendition of “Frosty the Snowman.”
Ultimately, Helsel said the event is to point attention to the choir students’ talent.
“We want people to hear choral music, to have fun, and to lift their spirits for the holidays,” he said.
