The Winter Concert at SIS is a cherished annual tradition that combines the holiday spirit with the SIS community’s shared love for music. Led by organizers Julia Kim (Strings Director), Mary Kate Maney (Choir Director), and Robert Thalhuber (Band Director), the following groups convened to deliver their musical performances: Ambassadors, Strings, High School Symphony Orchestra (HSO), Blue Note, Ladies Choir, Men’s Choir, Band, and Concert Choir.
The program included a mix of Christmas pop songs such as “Text Me Merry Christmas” by Straight No Chaser and arrangements of classical pieces such as “Winter Song” sung by Ambassadors and Ladies Choir. Concert Choir and Band performed songs unrelated to Christmas such as “When I Was Your Man” by Bruno Mars and “Just the Two of Us” by Bill Withers.
This year’s concert additionally introduced the first collaboration between Ambassadors and Strings. The two ensembles joined forces to present Antonio Vivaldi’s “Gloria,” with Ambassadors forming a semicircle around Strings on stage, creating a visually and musically captivating arrangement.
“I think the collaboration was a good experience,” Yujin Lim (10), Ambassadors member, said. “I liked that we could work together to create good music. It was our first time collaborating with another ensemble, so I was a little scared about how the outcome would turn out to be, but we ended up sounding great on concert day which made us all happy.”
In preparation for the event, all ensembles worked tirelessly for nearly three months, often sacrificing their Office Hours and Activity Period time to attend rehearsals.
“I think it was definitely worth it,” Dominic Hahm (12), Strings cello player, said. “The sacrifice allowed my duet performance to turn out more stable. Without the extra practice, I would not have been able to withstand the pressure and would have made mistakes.”
The Winter Concert concluded with HSO’s rendition of “The Wings of Poseidon” from “The Odyssey” by Robert S. Smith. This performance caught the audience’s attention with its wide variety of sounds created by unconventional instruments such as the whirly tube. Swung in a circular motion, this instrument helped imitate the sounds of wind and the ocean, capturing the essence of Poseidon’s domain.
“I thought the [pipe] was super interesting,” Jessica Park (12), Winter Concert attendee, said. “I have never seen that kind of instrument be used at a SIS concert before, and it added a unique sound to the performance. It definitely made the whole experience more memorable, and I know a lot of other people who would agree with me on that.”
