Original Student Composition Tops Richards Holiday Concert Tonight

will perform an original student composition at the high school’s annual holiday concert tonight (Wednesday, Dec. 14).

Junior music student Kristen Crenshaw’s A Pirate’s Life is an adaptation of music themes from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies.

This is Kirsten’s first major musical composition that was composed for the full concert band.  Kirsten also composed incidental music for the high school’s fall play A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Kristen wrote the piece over the summer after touring the Pirates of the Caribbean exhibit on a trip to Disney World with the Richards Music Department.

“I went home and watched all the movies again and decided that I would like to write an arrangement of the music for the concert band.

What is her favorite thing about the composition?

“The fact that I stayed true to the melodic material from the Pirates movies and adapted the tunes to fit my arrangement,” she said.

Kristen hopes to write another adaption of a move music score or an original piece of music next summer.

holiday concert starts at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 14 in main school gym. In addition to A Pirate’s Life, the concert band and choir will perform holiday favorites, finishing off with Handel’s Messiah. Richards alumni are invited to join in the singing of the Hallelujah chorus.

Admission is $5 or $4 with a donation of canned goods; and $10 for families, $8 with canned food donation. Canned foods will be donated to the Our Lady of the Ridge Catholic Church’s food pantry in Chicago Ridge.

its Fine Arts Festival starting at 7 p.m. Wednesday Dec. 14, featuring student artwork and a holiday concert performed by the high school band and choir. Admission is free.