On the evening of December 5, Arthur-Pigeon high school in Huntingdon buzzed with excitement as friends and family waited in line for the first ever concert-supper fundraiser.
The weeks leading up to the event had been a flurry of activity for the musicians, their teacher Catherine Malenfant, and her assistant Judith Nadeau. The students spent weeks practicing an ambitious 26 Christmas songs to serenade diners. A full holiday meal with turkey, mashed potatoes, and all the fixings was planned and prepared in collaboration with Les Complices Alimentaires, with students taking time away from practice to help peel the carrots and potatoes.
“The students prepared the tables, made the decorations, brought all the desserts, and set up the stage,” said Malenfant. “The entire afternoon was a whirlwind of organization, and when the bell rang at 4:10 p.m. the event still seemed unclear – but at 5:15 p.m. everything fell into place. Incredible!” she exclaimed.
Once attendees settled in, half the musicians acted as servers while the other half entertained with holiday favorites like Sleigh Ride and White Christmas. The atmosphere was casual and festive, and during the seamless transitions where the servers and musicians switched places, the audience was treated to drum solos from the band’s keen drummer. The food was delicious and the audience enjoyed every song from the beginning of the meal until the coffee and desserts.
The band has been raising money for years to purchase new instruments for the ever-growing ensemble. Passing the hat during previous concerts had brought them close to their goal, but thanks to the 227 tickets sold for this event and the resulting $3,000 Malenfant was finally able to buy the band 11 new instruments including four clarinets, four flutes, two trombones, and one bass clarinet, keeping any surplus money for future purchases. The teacher surprised the students, letting them unwrap their new instruments before the show. “I had the chance to open my new instrument and use it during the show! It was early Christmas.” said a musician from Grade 8.
The event had a big impact on the students. A Grade 10 musician said, “It was really motivating to organize, and we did it as a group. We came out the other side stronger and closer than before.” Another student from Grade 11 said, “I set a goal for myself to play the entire time. It lasted more than two and a half hours, and I didn’t even notice the time pass.” And a student from Grade 9 observed, “Perseverance and pushing ourselves beyond our limits are qualities that Catherine helps us discover in ourselves so that we can be at our very best.”
Family and friends loved the event and are already looking forward to next year. When asked if the band would make it an annual tradition, Malenfant replied with a resounding “Yes, absolutely – we hope to make it a tradition and hold the event the first Friday in December. We have already reserved the 4th of December 2026. We learned a lot from this first edition and will bring improvements to next year.” One musician said “This year I will be graduating. In the future, [on] every first Friday of December, it will be a tradition for me to return and cheer on the next generation!”