J.E. Cosgriff Memorial Catholic School celebrates fine arts with student presentations

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The J.E. Cosgriff Memorial Catholic School's sixth-grade percussion group is shown performing on May 12.

SALT LAKE CITY — A wide variety of joyful noise and artistic expression filled the Saint Ambrose Church and J.E. Cosgriff Memorial School on May 12.

The evening kicked off with the school’s beginning and advanced bands under the direction of music teacher Zach Downes. The audience sang and clapped along to their final number, “YMCA.”  

Also under Downes’ direction, the sixth-grade students performed a percussion demonstration that included hand drums, cowbells and rattles. The second-graders charmed the audience with ukuleles by performing “Octopus Garden.”

These pieces were a culmination of Downes’ seven years of dedication to the Cosgriff music program; he is leaving Cosgriff to build on the rising success of his band, Pixie and the Partygrass Boys.   

Other instrumental numbers included fourth- and fifth-grade violinists under the direction of Tom Harris. Their closing piece was the theme from Star Wars.  

Two theatrical groups also entertained the audience. The extracurricular drama program, under the direction of Suzanne Lacombe and Abbi Mancini, shared a scene from The Wizard of Oz and all cast members joined in a rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” The eighth-grade class, directed by Heather Luttmer and Abbi Mancini, earned laughs during their “Three Fold Wedding” scene from A Midsummer Night’s Dream.  

The program in the church ended with three songs from the third-, fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade choir classes under the direction of Christopher Huntzinger.  

Following the performances in the church, students and families strolled through the school, viewing art from every class. Art teacher Grace Cier also had a slideshow of the students’ creative efforts throughout the year, along with eighth-grade final projects focusing on sustainable art.  

The Cosgriff community is grateful for the commitment of their faculty, students, and families who support the fine arts, particularly their benefactor Terence Stephens. The breadth of experiences and learning opportunities that the students have received are true gifts to them and their audience.  

Courtesy of J.E. Cosgriff Memorial Catholic School