By: Snigdha Chakravarti and Riley Viyannalage
It’s back! The most awaited, unforgettable concert of the year is finally here: Winterfest LI! With over 40 performances, ranging from small group acts to East’s largest ensembles, Winterfest is sure to be an out-of-this-world show. Winterfest LI will be on Wednesday, December 17th, as well as Thursday, December 18th, at 7pm in the auditorium. Each night will be made up of two acts separated by a ten-minute intermission. Better yet, there is no cost to attend the concert! So without further ado, what’s going on for Winterfest this year?
Starting off the large ensembles are Wind Ensemble and Mixed Chorus, which are first in the stacked line-up of this year’s Winterfest. Wind will be performing “Joyful World” and “A Christmas Tiding,” while Mixed Chorus will be singing “The Little Swallow” and “Go! Said the Star.” After this, Dynamics will be singing “I Saw Three Ships,” and Choraleers will be singing “Shadow River.” The Philharmonic Orchestra will be performing towards the end of Act One, playing the famous “Carol of the Bells” and “Holst Daragason.” Act Two will feature the Concert Band at the beginning, playing “A Christmas Festival” and “You Better Sleigh.” Following this will be Chorale, who will be performing two pieces: “The Music of Stillness” and “Happy Holiday.” Act Two will culminate with the Symphony Orchestra, who will be rendering a movement from Brahm’s Symphony No. 3 and Chabrier’s “Joyeuse Marche.” There will be one very special piece entitled “I Hear America Singing” that will feature Symphony Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, and Choir at the very end of Winterfest. Oh yes, and the show will officially end with “Sleigh Ride,” the annual band-orchestra combined piece. And that, folks, is the lineup for the big groups for Winterfest! Clearly, there’s a variety of musical genres that will be presented, which junior Raniya Rasul sees as an opportunity for students to “show off their musicianship and talent.”
Sprinkled throughout, though, are small, mostly student-led groups. On November 25th, auditions for small groups were held; over 50 groups auditioned, with only about 32 making it in. Hours of dedication and practice were poured into small group performances, both in leading up to the audition and after as well. Several students are involved in multiple groups, like sophomore Emma Zu, a violinist in Symphony. Emma is in five small group acts, one of which is a solo, and she expressed her excitement in being able to perform with many of her friends in these groups. Similar to Emma, senior Jeebahy Prabaharan is also in a diverse number of groups, playing the upright and electric bass in a jazz ensemble and a small group performing “Winter Wonderland.” What’s so special about these small groups is the wide array of performances from all the different types of ensembles in the music department. Some of the small groups include a violin choir playing Bohm’s Violin Quartet, a cello octet rendering Danzon No. 2, a string quartet playing a movement from Vivaldi’s “Winter,” a brass quintet rendering “It’s the Most Wonderful Time,” a sax quartet playing the “Scherzo” from a work by Rimsky-Korsakov, a vocal solo and combo of “Man With the Bag,” and a vocal solo of “The Christmas Song” with a jazz orchestra.
Behind every stunning performance are hours of hard work that the students put in to make all the performances shine. Junior Sanjana Suresh, a member of Choraleers, mentioned how Winterfest acts take a considerable amount of effort; she and several others have often come early or stayed late after school to ensure their performances are the best they can be. Senior Robin Solazzo, a member of Symphony, Chorale, Choraleers, and Vocal Jazz, is participating in three groups: her vocal solo “Misty,” a vocal quartet, and a five-member string group. As a senior, this is her fourth and final Winterfest. Robin’s favorite part of Winterfest is “Sleigh Ride” because “we play it every year, and it’s so fun to listen to it all come together!” Likewise, junior Ben Watson, a clarinetist in Wind Ensemble, is most excited for “Sleigh Ride” to close out the concert as well as playing clarinet for the Grinch opening act. Freshman Mili Krishna, a violinist in Symphony, is looking forward to her first Winterfest here at East, commenting that “it’s a great way to bring on the holiday spirit” and allows for “so many opportunities to expose yourself to different styles of music.”
Of course, another part of Winterfest is the spirit! For the past couple of weeks, the officers from all the ensembles have discussed what to do for this year’s spirit days to pump up everybody for the special performance. Monday will be Mean Grinch Monday, where the theme is green clothing. Tuesday will be Christmas Spirit/Ugly Sweater Day, and Wednesday will be blackout day for the assemblies for Transit and East students. Thursday will be Music Department Merch Day, and Friday, obviously, will be PJ Day to celebrate finishing this marathon of music. Aside from the spirit days, all of the music rooms have been decorated to fuel some holiday spirit. Junior Ben Watson, who plays clarinet in Wind Ensemble and Symphony Orchestra, expressed how the spirit days and decorations really contribute to the “fun, exciting atmosphere in the music wing that exists for really the whole month of December.” Senior Robin Solazzo also felt this way too, especially with picking out the spirit day themes with her fellow officers.
Oh, and we can’t forget about the Grinch! There is no doubt that the opening Grinch act is a fan favorite for the audience. This silly tradition instantly sets a fun-filled tone for the rest of the night. A chorus student will take center stage dressed head to toe in a Grinch costume while singing about the do’s and don’ts of Winterfest. Of course, the act isn’t complete without the Grinchettes and the band, whose dance and music add to the lively holiday spirit. There are three lucky chorus students that get to dress up in the Grinch costume this year. This clever, festive act not only reminded the audience of the rules but also signaled that Winterfest had officially begun. Remember everyone, hold your applause until the end of the show (well, no one really follows this rule!).
Some of the groups that won’t be presenting on the two big nights will be performing during the assembly for Transit and East students 3rd and 8th period on Wednesday, respectively, or in the commons as pre-show music. Unfortunately, East students can only go to the assembly if their teachers permit them to do so. The assembly will be a condensed version of the real show, with some small groups and a couple of the large group acts as well.
Winterfest is more than just a concert—it is a celebration of music and art that draws the community together with dazzling performances, festive energy, and the hard work of many dedicated students and teachers. Junior Sophia Liu, a cellist in Symphony, explained how Winterfest is one of her favorite things at East and that her “hard work practicing pays off at the concert.” Many students feel this way about Winterfest too; despite the numerous early morning and weekend practices for their groups, it all comes together at the end during the show. Indeed, as Mrs. Ieda mentions every year, Winterfest is the most wonderful time of the year!