Wheeling Park High School Musicians Preparing for Festival of Sound | News, Sports, Jobs

Photo Provided – Wheeling Park High School students are ready for Festival of Sound. Shown in front from left are Patriot music students Tiara Simon, Paige Evans and Grace Moore. Shown in back from left are Ethan Bartsch, Brooke Sikole, Jamie Noble and Emma McCardle.

The sounds of the holidays once again will fill Wheeling Park High School as musical instruments and voices will join together for the 26th Festival of Sound.

Three performances are on the schedule – Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. – all at the J.B. Chambers Performing Arts Center on the campus of Wheeling Park High

School.

Ensembles performing the weekend include the concert band, jazz ensemble, symphonic winds, and steel drum band. The Red and Blue Orchestras, along with the concert choir, Young Patriots, Voices of Freedom and men’s and women’s ensembles will also appear during the show.

Some parts of the performance will incorporate all 350 musicians in what is called the Patriot Ensemble. Also members of the 41-time state champion Wheeling Park Speech and Debate team will serve as masters of ceremony.

“We literally have students in four or five different performance groups,” choir director Christie Curley said. “That’s a tremendous level of commitment and musicianship.”

What makes the weekend even more special is that the event is back following last year’s hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Festival of Sound is going to be a new experience for half of our students who have not had a typical school year,” choir director Joyce Jingle said. “Last year was the first time in more than two-and-a-half decades that Festival of Sound did not happen. We are eager to get back to our tradition and make some great holiday music together.”

Tickets are now being sold online at http://wphswv.booktix.com/ and also in the main offices of Wheeling Park High School and Ohio County Schools at 2203 National Rd. in Elm Grove. Online ticket sales will incur a small convenience fee. In-person ticket sales will occur from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. today, while online ticket sales will continue (if available) up until each show time. Seating for each show is limited and is general admission. Doors will open one hour before each show.