Choir, orchestra, and wind symphony performed in the annual winter concert on Dec. 10, playing an array of music spanning from holiday tunes to musical numbers, according to the concert’s program.
For this concert, called Carol from Classics, Band Director Emily Moore said they added more winter-themed music, since some of the students really like Christmas music.
“We threw in a couple of holiday numbers, and then stuff I think the students will like,” Moore said. “(I also added) music with things that I want them to learn, like different scales, rhythms, or what I think will be valuable for them to perform, and that’s fun.”
The orchestra featured more percussion than usual, Moore said. The choir performed with a drum set, a flute, and students sang in a language that they hadn’t sung before, she added.
“We hadn’t ever sung in Italian until then, so it was important to do that,” Moore said. “Adding strings to one of the pieces was not a last-minute decision, but kind of late in the game.”
Senior clarinet player Lina Kimoto said the concert was especially meaningful to her since, after she visited the Winter Concert as a middle schooler, she decided to audition to be in the higher bands during high school.
“Now, this is our last time performing in the same theater that I saw them perform at,“ Kimoto said. “That’s significant.”
Moore said she loved conducting the “Phantom of the Opera” medley, since it’s one of her favorite symphony orchestra arrangements ever. However, she especially appreciated her string orchestra, the younger group, who have improved a ton since the beginning of the year, she added.
“I was really happy with them,” Moore said. “Choir sings out really, really well.”
Moore said that the “Phantom of the Opera” piece was a great arrangement. It’s complicated, since it includes a variety of keys, time signatures, and ensemble balance that the students had to learn, she added.
“The intense part in the middle is always really fun,” Moore said. “(It includes) minor chords, and loud, crashing things. A lot of them had never seen ‘Phantom of the Opera.’ We watched the 2003 movie, so they know the story.”
Senior flute player Valerie Tan said she enjoyed the piece because of its mix of different pacing.
“It’s fast at the beginning, and then it becomes really slow,” Tan said. “I feel like I can play it really emotionally, that’s why I like it.”
The concert may be the last held in the current theater before they switch to the new Performing Arts Center, Moore said. They’re not going to miss the old theater, she added.
“It’s old, and we’ve been waiting for the new building like I’ve been waiting for it for years now,” Moore said. “Mostly, the emotion is just excitement for our new space.”
Overall, Moore thought the students all did well during the concert, she said.
“They’ve been working hard, and I was very happy with all their performances,” Moore said.
