EUREKA – One thing you can say for District 140 families: they support their kids! The Eureka Middle School Christmas Concert was held at 4 P.M. Saturday afternoon, December 6. There’s not enough seating in the Middle School gym, so the concert was scheduled the for the High School gym. It wasn’t big enough either. By 3:45 there were few seats left, and by 3:50 it was standing room only. Thirty more chairs were brought out and set up, but there were still 25 to 30 people standing along the wall.

The Middle School bands are ably led by Ms. Denise Yonker, who has obviously put much effort into organizing the students and teaching them how to work together. Their eyes were on her and her baton, whenever they weren’t on the music; their musical entrances were almost flawless; there was hardly a squeak out of even the youngest musicians’ instruments; and there was no horsing around…even among the drummers. Some of the youngsters are so small that their feet didn’t touch the floor, but they sat tall and played on anyway.
Each group played three or four numbers. The 6th Grade Band admirably accomplished the counter melodies and changes of beat in “Concerto for Sleigh Bells and Band.” The liveliest of their songs was “North Pole Sleigh Ride” where the clarinets were stellar in keeping the beat, which was not an easy task.
The 7th Grade Band performed three numbers, one of which was written by Todd Stalter, High School Band director. This group had 16 fewer members than the 6th Grade Band, but they performed very well, if a little less spirited than we could have liked with their “ho ho ho’s” in “Jumpin’ Jolly Old St. Nick.”
The 7th and 8th Grade Jazz Band was quite accomplished, performing the difficult theme songs to James Bond and Peter Gunn. Mark Crenshaw had an alto saxophone solo in the James Bond Theme song which he played well. Once those were finished, the band really put some spirit into playing “A Jazzy Merry Christmas.”
The 8th Grade Band played “’Twas the Concert Before Christmas,” “Name Those Tunes,” and “The Polar Express,” all with competence and the promise that next year they will be welcome additions to Mr. Stalter’s High School Band.

The Middle School draws students from Congerville, Eureka and Goodfield and vicinity.