The Vance-Granville Community Band presented its fifth annual free Holiday Concert on Thursday, Dec. 6 in the Civic Center on the college’s Main Campus in Vance County. The band, which is a joint effort between VGCC students and interested citizens, started the evening’s program with music that is fit for any season: a Sousa march, “Sabre and Spurs,” and a medley of classical pieces by Mozart. The remainder of the concert focused on traditional favorites associated with this time of year, including several medleys of Christmas carols, the Leroy Anderson classic, “Sleigh Ride,” “Greensleeves” and Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus.” The program concluded with the audience joining the ensemble in a Christmas sing-a-long. Sharing conducting duties for the concert were Jason Pulley, the band director at Eaton-Johnson Middle School, and Charles Peters (pictured above), band director at Granville Central High School. Each played trombone as a member of the band when he was not conducting.
First formed in 2008, the Vance-Granville Community Band has grown to approximately 50 members, including people from all four counties of the VGCC service area (Vance, Granville, Warren and Franklin) and beyond.