The crowd cheered as the curtains closed on the 2024 Winter Concert. Sandwiched between the melodious notes of Randall Standridge’s “Choose Joy,” performed by Haldane’s Wind Ensemble, and a particularly swinging and crowd-pleasing performance by the Jazz Band, the high school Chorus made merry at the Winter Concert on December 12th with a diverse performance of four songs.
They began with “Circa Mea,” an exhilarating work based on medieval Latin harmonies and words. Following this, performers sang “Earth Song,” conveying a message of hope and peace through music in the face of war and suffering. The third song, “Time,” featured deep, thoughtful lyrics and a fast-paced melody, encouraging the audience to think about how quickly time passes and the feelings that come with it. The concert ended with “Text Me Merry Christmas,” a fun and lively song about staying connected through text during the holidays.
Several Haldane students accompanied the Chorus on a variety of instruments. On “Circa Mea,” sophomore Noah Green and freshman Kaiser Toribio played percussion, adding vibrant rhythms and energy that helped push the song along, and senior Robert Frei mark played piano for “Earth Song” and “Text Me Merry Christmas.” Students were also featured in two songs: senior Sophie Koch and junior Sofia Kelly opening “Circa Mea,” and seniors Oliver Petkus and Amelia Alayon dueting in “Text Me Merry Christmas.”
Sophomore Gemma Sabin, a soprano who also performs in the band, thought the Winter Concert went great. Sabin’s favorite part was singing “Text Me Merry Christmas” to end the performance with a lively holiday song. “Working on all of the songs has been incredible, but this one is the most fun. Performing music we’ve been working on for so long is such a satisfying thing, and I’m so grateful for this experience.” Sophomore Una Lentz, an alto, also thought the chorus did well. She noted, “Mr. Sauer did a great job conducting us and teaching us all of the songs. I also liked all the songs and think the audience liked them too.” Maisie Matthews, a sophomore alto new to the Chorus this year, talked about how much she enjoyed being part of the group: “The winter concert was super fun,” she said. “We practiced the songs a lot, and I noticed that I grew better at singing just by being a part of the chorus.”
Chorus director Sam Sauer noted how important teamwork was to making the concert a success. He said, “I am so excited to see the community that I can see forming at this time of year. We truly band together to make this music the way we do, and it shows… To everyone- a
job well done!”
The Chorus will perform again in the spring with a new set of songs. Make sure to mark the calendar for their next performance; it’s not one to be missed!
