Every year, Floridians are left grasping at the threads of the winter season for one fleeting–albeit welcome–chilly evening. Attendees of Friday’s annual Winter Music Festival received an early present in the form of a chillingly amazing musical performance.
The Middle School Band and Honor Band opened the performance with Do You Want to Build a Snowman, Snow, and Chanukah Overture. They were followed by the Middle School String Ensemble with Dreidel Adventure (S’vion) and A Christmas Symphony.
Mr. Ransom Miller, the Middle School band teacher, and Upper School musical director Dr. Ian Henderson performed a piano and saxophone duet of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas and Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire. Afterwards, the Third Grade Violin “Mozart Ensemble” performed a charming rendition of Chanukah, Chankuh!, Ode to Joy, and Jingle Bells.
The Upper School Combined Ensemble performed Movements I, VII, and VIII of The Nutcracker with Upper School Director of Educational Technology Dr. Amanda Pierman on the flute. The Nutcracker is one of my personal favorites, and the Combined Ensemble did not disappoint. Their rendition filled the auditorium with Christmas magic and unified all familiar with the classic pieces.
The Upper School Chamber Ensemble continued with God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen, Chanukah, and Joy To The World. The Concert Band then played Jingle Bell Rock, You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch, and Run Rudolph Run. A few students stood during the song’s bridges to perform improvised solos. I’m sure other audience members would agree with me in that it went over many of our heads and maybe even made the songs better.
One of the highlights of this evening for me was Mr. Abigail Milce’s saxophone solo of Hark the Herald, Angel Sing! and Come All Ye Faithful. He commanded attention with his performance and the atmosphere was transformed from a packed, dark auditorium to a cozy room and crackling fireplace.
The Middle School Band, 7th Grade Strings, Upper School Concert Band, Chamber Ensemble, and Mrs. Belen Clifford brought a close to an excellent night with Sleigh Ride, performed with as much energy and cheer as pieces from the beginning of the night.
Everyone who participated played their hearts out and the auditorium echoed the sounds of their music long after the performance was over. But beyond symphonies and melodies, this performance offered up a valuable lesson: to cherish the time you spend with others during the holidays. The auditorium was filled with people–parents overwhelmed with pride, friends quietly cheering from the house, and people who simply wanted to enjoy the evening–who were all happy to be there. They all took a moment during the stress of holiday preparations and midterms to stop and cheer on their loved ones, and that is exactly the kind of winter magic that permeated the auditorium: love.
