By Bertina Xue

Holiday themed decorations, including snowflake projections on either side of the stage and a smattering of santa hats set a festive mood for the 2014 Winter Concert on Friday Dec. 19 in the Roberts-Dubbs Auditorium.

The concert featured engaging performances from the Concert Band, Concert Choir, A Cappella Choir, Camerata Choir, Orchestra and Music Collective.

The Concert Band opened the concert  with Gary Fagan’s “Flourish for Winds.” The piece began with extravagant and showy colors but settled down midway through with a more serene melody, before ending abruptly. The piece could easily be pictured in a war scene with a fast paced rhythm. The sound of the flute and triangle gave it an upbeat tone.

The Concert Band’s final piece, “Sleigh Ride” by Leroy Anderson, was a fun and perfect choice for right before Christmas.

“It won’t just be your typical sleigh ride,” band director Carolyn Castellano said.

Laughter erupted from the audience as band members stood up and then back down to the music. The laughter continued as senior and trumpeter Yiorgos Karaminas rode across the stage on a toy horse.

The sound of the audience’s applause lingered as members of the Concert Choir filed on to the stage decked out from head to toe in black. Their fourth song, ”Pretty Little Angel Eyes” originally performed by Curtis Lee, was a big hit with the audience as performers snapped their fingers and swayed side to side as they sang. The song was cheerful and lighthearted with a strong piano accompaniment by sophomore Zhenya Van. Performers struck a pose at the end of the song, drawing a well deserved applause from the audience.

From there, the A Cappella Choir opened up with “Come Go With Me” written by Clarence E. Quick with sophomore Henry Morehouse as scat soloist. Dressed in a variety of different colored shirts, the A Cappella Choir entertained the audience with finger wagging and exaggerated fainting throughout the song.

For their last piece, the A Cappella Choir sang “Somebody to Love” by Freddie Mercury, which featured four soloists: sophomores Alicia Nascimento and Travis Morgan and juniors Maeve Forti and Caelan Wong. There was also a trio, comprised of sophomore Naomi Goodheart, Moe Wakai and Carolyn Fahrner. Performers echoed the soloists as they sang the word “somebody” repeatedly. The song had a wishful and powerful tone until performers suddenly dropped their voices to a loud whisper as they chanted “find me somebody to love.” Morgan was the true highlight of the song, surprising the audience with his deep voice.

Camerata conductor Michael Driscoll joked as the audience waited for A Cappella members who were also in Camerata to change and hurry onto the stage. Donned in black robes and accented by either red scarves or bowties, Camerata quickly killed the perky mood as they delivered a haunting but tender “David’s Lamentation” by Joshua Shanks. Multiple pauses throughout the piece built suspense. As they whispered “my son” – the last line to the piece – everybody felt chills run down their spine.

Orchestra members filled the stage after the brief intermission and carried out a composition by tango composer Astor Piazzolla called “Libertango.” The title is a merging of the words “libertad” and “tango,” symbolizing Piazzolla’s break from classical tango to tango nuevo. The song was fast-paced with salsa-esque motifs. The addition of the woodblock added contrast to the smooth flow of the melody. The purposefully executed screech of the violins added spice to the piece, as well.

Finally, to bring the night to a close the Music Collective, or Jazz Band, performed “The Black Messiah” by George Duke. The piece was soulful and featured the electric guitar and trumpets. Junior Hal Triedman delivered a strong piano solo.

Overall, the performance was engaging and kept the audience’s attention. The funny rehearsed antics from the performers kept the mood joyous, perfectly matching the holiday theme. The performers showcased their talent at the same time. The concert was a great mix of displaying the students instrumental and vocal skills, while simultaneously spreading some holiday spirit.

Photos by Kendall McGowan

Contact Bertina Xue at [email protected]