On December 11th, 2023, Nanuet Senior High School’s band, chorus, and orchestra put on their annual Winter Concert. The Winter Concert is Nanuet’s music department’s seasonal gift to the community by way of putting together live pieces for family and friends to come watch and enjoy. The band, chorus, and orchestra had prepared for this concert everyday in class since the beginning of the year, and finally got to perform and put everything together.
The band played five pieces. Sophomores Elaine Gong and Juliana Somma, both flutists, expressed both of their favorite pieces.
“‘The Cave You Fear’ was my favorite piece,” Gong stated. “It had a lot of different sounds. It was also just fun to play. It really demonstrates how the band can play quieter and not the thought that the band just plays super loudly.”
This was also Somma’s favorite, as well.
“There were odd and different sounds that are not used a lot that made the piece really cool,” she said.
The chorus had only sung four songs, which ranged from “Ikan Kekek,” a Malaysian tune for children, to “Good King Kong,” a PDQ Bach original, which involves kazoos, according to junior Grace Ryan, junior, who said she enjoyed her first Nanuet Senior High School Winter Concert.
“My favorite song we did was “Your Soul is Song,” Ryan said. “It was such a good way to end our performance. Every voice section did such a good job and it all came together perfectly.”
Julia Lehane, a senior, who is both a cellist and an alto singer, expressed her favorite piece the orchestra played.
“I really enjoyed the song ‘Greensleeves,’” Lehane said. “It’s a slower piece, one the cello section struggled on. Watching it all come together in the last few rehearsals was something truly amazing.”
Makaela Larkin, a Nanuet senior, said she shows up for almost every Nanuet-related event. She came to support her friends and enjoy the live music.
“I really enjoyed when the chorus started playing the kazoos,” Larkin said. “I think it added a lot of energy to the performance.”
Anticipation now leads up to the Holiday Concerts beginning next week during the Common Lunch period. All three groups will perform holiday tunes throughout the week of December 18th to kick off the holiday break.