High School Groups Set Winter Concert Dates

In keeping with the festive season, Watchung Hills Regional High School’s music students will present Winter Concerts for the enjoyment of parents, friends and community members. Both events (instrumental and choral) will be held in the school’s Performing Arts Center, and are free and open to the public.

The instrumentalists in various groupings, under the baton of David Udell, will perform at 7 p.m. Dec. 14. The Concert Band will present “Brazilian Sleigh Bells” by Percy Faith, the “Overture for Winds” by Charles Carter, and Saint Saens’ “Marche Militaire Francaise”;

the Orchestra will be heard in “Shepherd’s Dance” by Gian Carlo Menotti, and Gustav Holst’s “Brook Green Suite”; the Wind Ensemble will offer  Percy Grainger’s “Australian Up-Country Tune,” “Red, White and Brass” by John Moss, and those tried and true seasonal pieces “Jingle Bells,” “Jolly Old St. Nick,” and Leroy Anderson’s “Sleigh Ride.”

Brass in Black, conducted by Bonnie Burgdorf, will offer a spirited rendition of other holiday favorites.

Choral students, directed by newly-appointed Angela DiIorio, will present their program beginning at 7 p.m. Dec. 16. 

The Mixed Chorus will present “Gaudeamus Hodie” by Earlene Rentz, the timely “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” By Frank Loesser, “Al Shlosa d’varim” by Allan Naplan,  Irving Berlin’s “Anything You Can Do,” from “Annie Get Your Gun,” the spiritual “Deep River,” and “Build Me Up, Buttercup,” by McCavrely and D’Abo. 

The Advanced Chorus will be heard in: Vivaldi’s “Gloria in Excelsis,” “Jingle Bells,” as arranged by Ray Charles,  “Erev Shel Shoshanim” by Josef Hadar, “Razzle Dazzle,” from the musical  “Chicago,” “Imbakua” by Jim Papoulis,  and the ever-popular “Aquarius” from the musical “Hair.”

Ensembles will perform Schubert’s “Ave Maria,” “Mama, I’m a Big Girl Now,” from “Hairspray,” Meredith Wilson’s “The Wells Fargo Wagon” from “Music Man,” “Lean on Me,” by Bill Withers, “John Williams is the Man,” by John Williams, Victor Johnson’s “Stars I Shall Find,” and Ray Charles’ “What’d I Say.”

The concert will conclude with numbers performed by the Combined Choruses: “Ave Verum Corpus,” of Mozart, a choral medley from “The Lion King“ by Elton John and Tim Rice, and Leroy Anderson’s “Sleigh Ride.”

Besides allowing the community the opportunity to see how well music students are learning their craft,  holiday concerts also provide a welcome respite from the  harried pace of the season.