On December 4th, the Orchestra, part of the B.O.S.S. program on the Santiago campus, held its winter concert to conclude the semester. It’s noteworthy that this is the last one they performed on campus before they leave for New York to perform at Carnegie Hall in the early spring next semester. It’s even more saddening that this is also a note of warning to the class of ’26 seniors in orchestra: their time in high school is coming to an end. The semester ends in just a few weeks, following their last semester.
However, on a brighter note, those who were lucky enough to attend and hear the orchestra’s beautiful instrumentation missed the songs they performed. This list consisted of: Sleigh Ride by Leroy Anderson and Christmas Vacation Arranged by Patrick Roszell. The Choir students also joined the Symphony for four, directed by Rachelle Randeen. The list consisted of: Christmas on Broadway, arranged by John Higgins; Candlelight Carol by John Rutter, Hallelujah Chorus (from the Messiah) by G.F. Handel, and our school’s Alma Mater – Lead Us Boldly. The performance of both was eye-catching and incredibly mesmerizing. It’s clear they took their time to practice diligently, and it shows in their performance.
After the concert, various Orchestra members were interviewed with questions such as: What would you say would be your favorite song to perform from this performance? And is this performance even a sliver of what the one at Carnegie Hall will be like?
“I’d say sleigh ride and Carnegie Hall is just a different animal, it’s just such a bigger stage, it’s just a historic sight that the feeling playing there is going to be like nothing we’ve ever done, also the repertoire is just another level ”- Evan Padilla (11), Benjamin Hong (11)
“I enjoyed Christmas on Broadway the most because it’s a little bit of everything, and I liked playing the different songs in one piece”-Devendra Haught (12)
“Christmas on Broadway, no doubt”-Daniel Martinez (11)
Additionally, Mr. McGree, the Orchestra director, addressed issues that arose during the performance organization, including that it was the second concert of the year and that they had been “truly beginning to prepare the music right after [their] Fall Concert in October.” So they had to coordinate with the Choir for rehearsals, where they met up “ for 3 Thursday Office Hour Rehearsals.” But the production did come with upsides, where he directly expressed his favorite memories through the planning process:
“My favorite moments are seeing the progression of learning over time and hearing the music come alive. At a concert, my favorite feeling comes from the smiles from the audience, parent helpers, coaches, and performers after a job well done. It takes a lot of individual practice time by each player and private coaching to achieve at the level of expectation for each of the top ensembles since we program music that is often at the college, or higher, levels.”
Senior Spotlight:
Seniors were interviewed and asked: How do you feel about this being one of your last concerts for your senior year?
Mr. McGee was primarily involved in this questionnaire, which asked, “What will you miss most about this graduating class?”
“The seniors have a special place in my heart as I have known some of them since they were 7th graders. We have grown from 1 orchestra class to 3 orchestras over our seven years of having an Orchestra Magnet Program (we have the only orchestra program in the district). I have even known some of the seniors for 6 years as I taught them at Citrus Hills Intermediate School during their 7th grade year. Later this year, we have a big trip to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City along Festival Winds, our top band. I am certain that there will be a LOT of fun memories for all of us…especially the seniors.”
“It’s bittersweet because it reminds me of my first Christmas concert, and then now it’s the last, and I’m just happy with all the memories I made and how I’ve improved every concert”-Devendra Haught (12)
“I never thought about that. Now I’m sad”-Nathan Nguyen (12)
It’s pretty clear that this performance is just the introduction to what Orchestra will bring, and I’d like to speak to what is so clear: this spring is going to go fantastically.
