The SRSS theatre was alive Thursday evening with the return of a longstanding tradition.

People filled the seats to enjoy live music with “Jazz at the Regional,” an annual event for around 45 years, apart from the past two years.

Band conductor Mark Loewen says it’s great to get back to the thrill of live performances.

"We’ve been doing recorded concerts and putting them online for people to enjoy. That's fine. But it's not quite the same as having real people to play in front of," he says. "And you know, that brings out a whole new set of dynamics that some of our kids either haven't experienced at all or it's been a long time.

Loewen says this concert was a big deal for the community and that also made this a big deal for the students who worked extra hard to prepare for the live show. He points out that there are many things to consider while getting ready for a performance.

“Who do you look at when you’re on stage? What do you think about? How do you get from song to song when you don't have to just hit ‘pause’ and ‘record?’ There are people that are watching you. So, we have to train these kids to do all this stuff, let alone play the music.”

The evening included a variety of music performed by three jazz bands as well as the vocal ensemble Spectrum.