Winter concerts Q & A
It’s that time of year again… the air is filled with the joy and spirit of the holiday festivities. What better way to kick it off than with winter concerts? The WHS Winter Choral Concert (Dec. 19), Band Concert (Dec. 13), and Orchestral Concert (Dec. 12) are sure to delight attendees with their uplifting and inspiring new musical performances. Hi’s Eye talked to the student presidents of each music department to get details on how the groups prepared for the concerts and what you can expect from each performance.
Dustin Paden – WHS Senior – President of WHS Orchestra
What can we expect from your upcoming concert?
“The WHS Orchestras will be performing an engaging selection of music including the Chamber Orchestra playing “Capriol Suite” and Bartók’s Romanian Folk Dances, as well as the String Orchestra playing Autumn Aria and Bach’s Air on the G String. As tradition, the winter concert will conclude with a festive arrangement of Let It Snow.”
What have you done to prepare for the concert?
“In preparation for the winter concert, students have been working hard in orchestra class and at concert rehearsals. Additionally, the Chamber Orchestra gained a unique experience this past October performing parts of our winter concert music for a local business as a fundraiser. As they approach their final rehearsals for the winter concert, the WHS Orchestras are eager to share their music with the Westfield community.”
Jason Paden – WHS Senior – President of WHS Band
What can we expect from your upcoming concert?
“All three of the WHS Band ensembles will be performing a variety of exciting arrangements for the winter concert. Some of the Concert Band pieces include ‘Holton Arms Fanfare’ and ‘Sunchaser.’ The Symphonic Band will be playing several pieces including the ‘Alamo March’ and ‘Symphonic Overture.’ Finally, some of the Wind ensemble arrangements are ‘Moorside Suit’ and ‘Pineapple Poll.’ The concert will end with a surprise from the Wind Ensemble to get people excited for the holiday season.”
What have you done to prepare for the concert?
“Throughout the school year, all three of the concert bands have been diligently working both inside and outside of school for the upcoming winter concert. We have been focusing on fundamentals, tone, and creating a blended ensemble sound. We hope everyone enjoys all the work we have put in for the winter concert.”
Rachel Seiden – WHS Senior – President of the WHS Choir Department
What can we expect from your upcoming concert?
“We have been doing a lot to prepare for the concert. We started learning our music in September. This year, the WHS Concert Choir us doing a piece called Chichester Psalms by Leonard Bernstein which is an 18 minute piece that is all in Hebrew and contains multiple psalms from the Torah. On the other hand, the WHS chorale/Choraleers which is the most prestigious choir in the high school began learning the music in August. This year, we are doing several tradition pieces such as Have yourself a merry little Christmas and Mi Yimalel/S’vivon. In addition to those, we are doing some fun pop pieces such as “That’s What Christmas Means to Me” by Billy Joel and “Take On Me” by Pentatonix. We are also singing a rendition of Jingle Bells that we have added choreography to.”
What have you done to prepare for the concert?
“We practice everyday and have been since September. In addition, when it gets closer to the concert, we have a 2 hour night rehearsal with the professional orchestra that is performing with us for Chichester Psalms.”
