The De Soto High School music department has had an eventful week, and it’s not over yet.

On Saturday, the students who made the KMEA Kansas District Honor Choir and the freshmen in the Middle Level All-State Choir were able to participate in a one-day workshop and performance. Later, the DHS band and choir performed for the annual De Soto Mayor’s Christmas Tree Lighting.

On Dec. 7, 2011, the band and choir will be performing again for the combined Holiday Concert. Although the two will be performing separately, the band and choir will be singing together for the Halleluiah Chorus. The Madrigals choir classes will be singing together, with the other choir classes, as well as in small ensembles. The band will not be splitting into Symphonic and Concert Bands until second semester.

“The music program has meant a lot to me over the past four years and especially to be able to have a concert where we combine the two aspects of music we have at De Soto with choral music and instrumental music. It’s a really cool thing that De Soto has so it is going to be bittersweet to have to have this be my last combined choir and band concert,” senior Philip Kaul said.

Later this week, the Madrigals choir classes will be traveling to Crown Center to sing more holiday songs. They will be performing on Friday, Dec. 9 around 1 p.m.

The performing arts at DHS are working hard with an eventful couple weeks and the spring play has commenced rehearsing.