Show must go on: Seniors step in to help White Pines band

It’s been a busy spring for the White Pines Collegiate music department.

The school’s Concert Band and the Pine Tones — the school’s own rock band — have been touring elementary schools and playing concerts.  

By Thursday, May 11, the musicians will have played for 10 schools over five days of touring, wrote White Pines music teacher Greg MacLachlan in an email to SooToday.

The tour will climax with an evening concert at White Pines on Thursday, May 11 at 7:30 p.m.

The Concert Band includes students from Grades 9 to 12 playing a wide variety of instruments instruments.

In a regular school year, Grade 11 and 12 students would have been able to mentor younger students playing in the band, but COVID put the concert band into a situation where most of its members are beginners.

White Pines music teacher Hollie Filice invited New Horizons to join the band during practices and performances. Algoma New Horizons is a Sault Ste. Marie concert band led by conductor Letitia Neave that features adult players, mostly seniors, who wanted to relearn an instrument they had lost touch with or to learn a new instrument.  

“Many of the members have progressed to the point that they are excellent musicians,” MacLachlan wrote.

Several New Horizons members have joined the White Pines Concert Band in performances at elementary schools.

“It's truly heartwarming to see seniors playing music with high school kids for audiences full of young kids,” MacLachlan wrote.

They will be performing with the White Pines Concert Band May 11.

The show — at the Sault Community Theatre Centre — will include five songs by the White Pines Concert Band and friends, followed by a set of music by the Pine Tones.  

The Pine Tones will be playing a mix of rock, folk and acoustic tunes as well as some original compositions.

“They are particularly proud of a mashup tune which combines three songs from different eras and styles into one fun quirky song,” MacLachlan wrote.

Tickets will be available at the door for five dollars, with coffee and other beverages available in the foyer along with goods from a bake sale.