Students will perform four songs with the band this Friday
Dec. 13, 2023—The Ballard High School String Quartet will take to the professional stage this Friday as they join Beatles tribute band Abbey Road for its nationally touring Christmas with The Beatles show at the Kentucky Center.
Ballard seniors Charlie Wilder and Aiden Day and juniors Alex Newbold and Alex Bell will join the band for the songs "Eleanor Rigby," "A Day in the Life," "Hello Goodbye," and "Hey Jude."
“This is my first gig, so it’s very exciting,” said Day, who began playing the cello in fifth grade. “It’s extremely special and such a good experience for those who want to continue in the musical profession to get those experiences with different people and bigger crowds.”
Abbey Road has hired Ballard’s quartets several times in previous years, including the Beatles vs. Stones nationally touring act in 2022.
Wilder, Day, Newbold, and Bell are among Ballard’s top orchestra students in its most advanced orchestra class, said Chrissy Givan, the school’s orchestra director.
“It’s a really nice opportunity for students in this class because they are ready to start performing at gigs, awards ceremonies, and out in the community,” Givan said. “These experiences will help them transition out of high school and into the real world and continue on the musical path that they started here at Ballard.”
The Abbey Road show commonly reaches out to local high school orchestras, making donations to their school music programs in exchange for student participation. Givan said the donation will help fund a special luncheon for Ballard orchestra students next week.
With a few days left to fine-tune their performance, Wilder said he’s feeling confident.
“This opportunity has allowed us to bring all of the experience that we had from our chamber orchestra into a solo quartet,” he said. “It has brought all four of us together, and we’ve really become a solid group.”
Christmas with The Beatles comes to The Kentucky Center-Bomhard Theater this Friday, Dec. 15 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets may be purchased online at www.kentuckyperformingarts.org, by phone at (502) 584-7777, and at The Kentucky Center box office at 501 W. Main in Louisville. The show is family friendly and appropriate for all ages.