One of the greatest joys of the holiday season is the festive tunes heard everywhere you go. Playlists are put on repeat, radio stations are blasting holiday tunes, and local public spaces are filled with cheerful jams.

In celebration of these Christmas traditions, the AHS music department hosted its annual holiday concerts this past month, featuring the stellar musicians from the various musical groups. The Performing Arts Center (PAC) was ringing with holiday spirit during the evenings of Dec. 13 to 14, where musicians and singers from the band, orchestra, and choir performed the pieces they have rehearsed so diligently and earnestly this fall. It was a time for friends and family to listen to live holiday music and support the AHS traditions.

The concert on Wednesday, Dec. 13 featured Orchestra 1, band ensemble, and Mixed Choir. Some of the tunes featured at this concert included, “Deck the Hall of the Mountain King” as well as “I’ll be Bach for Christmas”. The following day featured part two of the concert, with Orchestra 2, Chanteurs, and Symphony Orchestra performing. Orchestra 2 opened the concert, with a number of holiday pieces, including, “Reindeer Galop” and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik”. Chanteurs followed with several fantastic numbers, including “Christmas on Broadway” and “Snow! A Winter Celebration”. A few singers also performed Pentatonix’s “That’s Christmas to Me”, which featured a five part harmony, modeled after the acapella group’s original unique version. Orchestra 3 closed the holiday concert with a variety of tunes, from Vincenzo Bellini’s “Norma Overture” to “Christmas Rocks at the Pops”. It was also a special treat for both the orchestra and Chanteurs, as they had the opportunity to perform in a joint piece, Mendelssohn’s “There Shall a Star from Jacob Come Forth”. Another show-stealer was “Fight Song-Amazing Grace”, which featured junior Daniel Black on the bagpipes. This piece was inspired by The Piano Guys and their well-known original version.

As for many, this concert brought them even more holiday spirit and gave them excitement for the winter break to come. Orchestra 3 member junior Amber Lu reflects on her performance and expressed, “It was really neat to be able to play music that we don’t usually play, such as all the festive Christmas music! I really enjoyed being able to share the holiday spirit with everyone through this concert.”

Congratulations to the musical groups for each of their successful holiday performances. If you wish to see more of their talents this winter break, support the music department at 6:00 p.m. on Dec. 28 at the Marching Koalas benefit concert in the PAC, which will feature various AHS groups as well as a guest group from Australia!

Photo Courtesy of ARCADIA MUSIC