MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- The students of the Matthew C. Perry High School music department held this year’s Winter Extravaganza at the Marine Memorial Chapel here Dec. 6.
The Winter Extravaganza is a musical concert held every year around Christmas. Students from Higashi Junior High School and Kawashimo Junior High School, also take part by attending.
The Winter Extravaganza took several months to prepare for, said Allen Strawbridge Jr., M.C. Perry High School music director.
The preparations for this concert have been going on since August, said Isabelle Gomez, Samurai Chorus alto.
The concert was full of various types of music, some traditional Christmas, some pop and African pieces as well.
Before the concert began the members of the M.C. Perry High School music department exchanged wreaths with representatives of Higashi Junior High School, Kawashimo Junior High School, and the city of Iwakuni.
The Winter Extravaganza had a full house as they performed for station residents and local Iwakuni residents.
The audience enjoyed the music performed as they clapped and moved to the beats of the African piece.
When the concert was over the attending schools and Iwakuni officials, as well as the M.C. Perry students, mingled and got to know each other while enjoying refreshments.
“For me this was an opportunity for the Americans and the Japanese to experience each other’s cultures,” said J.C Chambers, Samurai Chorus tenor.
“For the first time, the M.C. Perry High School music department will be working with a couple of schools from the Iwakuni area,” said Strawbridge.
The two schools in Iwakuni, Higashi and Kawashimo, and M.C. Perry High School are planning on doing a performance together on Jan. 30.
There are rehearsals scheduled leading up to this event.
The students of M.C Perry and the students from Higashi and Kawashimo plan to take turns and visit each other’s schools to rehearse.