ESPRESSIVO 2017 is finally here! The event the kids, Wayne, I and many of the parents have been working towards happens this evening. Here are few details to make the most of your evening:
Tickets: If you purchased tickets, you can check in outside the band room when you arrive starting at 5pm. Seats are first come, first serve so if you have a large group or are particular about where you are, don’t arrive too late.
If you didn’t get a ticket: Our 450 table seats are sold out (which we’re very happy to announce), but you can still attend by donation and sit in the bleachers as mentioned in the last post. We hope to see you there!
Dinner: There will be dessert and coffee through the evening but if you’re having dinner with one of our food trucks (Big Red’s Poutine, Wings, Helm’s Mobile Kitchen and Shake & Cheese), please arrive allow time for your meal to be made. Trucks will be serving from 5-7pm. If you haven’t been before, you’ll wait for a bit after you’ve placed your order as most everything is made fresh. Please give enough time to eat. Trucks all accept cash and some will take credit/debit as well.
Call/Performances: The first band (Senior Jazz) plays at 6:30pm. Call for all musicians is 6:15 (in uniform, ready to go) and we have three sets that will each run approximately 40-50 minutes with two 15 minute intermissions. Please be understanding that times are approximate. It’s a busy evening and we do our best to keep it moving. Students who are not performing in a given set are asked to find a seat in the bleachers to listen to the show and support their peers.
Guest Ensembles (Mass Choir and Honour Band): Mass Choir is closing the first set and Honour Band is opening the second set this year. We ask these musicians to be here for the 6:15 call as well so they can hear the groups before them.
Activities through the evening: We have a silent auction, BBQ draw, 50/50 draw, balloon pop, popcorn sales and more. Please remember these activities all support the activities of the students performing this evening so please give generously. We will be able to accept cash and cheques (payable to DW Poppy Secondary School) throughout the evening.
Clean-Up: As is tradition, many hands make light work and we ask that all DW Poppy Music Students stay at the end of the evening to assist with cleanup. The gym, band and choir rooms all need to be ready for classes on Thursday morning and the tables and chairs need to be ready for pickup. If you can help, we greatly appreciate it if you stack matching chairs and tables as directed by our volunteers.
One Final Note: Thank you to everyone who is helping out tonight and to Cathy and Laurel who have spearheaded this evening. Your work makes a huge impact on the opportunities we can offer the students so thank you all so very much!