The JPS Orchestra Program held its annual winter concert on December 14 and was hosted by the orchestra directors, Dr. Verdi and Mr. Lee. It featured the Concert, Camerata, and Chamber ensembles showcasing various pieces of music from a wide range of genres. Additionally, many smaller groups assembled to show their love for music outside of the classroom. With almost three months to prepare, the orchestra program showed their hard work, passion, and dedication to their art in this winter concert. 

At the start of the program, the freshman small ensemble started with some classic holiday songs including “The First Nowell,” a traditional French piece, and “O Come, All Ye Faithful,” an old Latin hymn. The classic yet very well-done songs allowed the audience to enjoy the familiarity of the pieces. The smooth, relaxing mood of both selections filled the auditorium with holiday warmth and joy. 

Next was the Concert Orchestra with “She Will Hang the Night with Stars,” by W. Hofeldt. Inspired by the popular poem by Oscar Wilde, the piece shows the sheer depth and beauty of Wilde’s writing. The Concert Orchestra executed the piece wonderfully, showing that they possessed the needed technical and emotional skills. After this, the cello ensemble took the stage with the piece “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring,” by J.S. Bach, which was gentle and melodious. 

Afterward, the freshmen orchestra assembled and played two pieces. One was “Lullaby to the Moon,” by Brian Balmages, a classic, sweet piece with a lullaby-like tune. It was very serene and harmonious, leaving the audience’s minds at ease. Next, they performed “Snow Day!” by Katie O’Hara LaBrie. The playful and nostalgic nature of the piece truly reminded the audience of the joyous feeling of a snow day and spread holiday cheer to everyone listening. The Bass Ensemble and Chamber Orchestra each performed their own rendition of “We Three Kings” by J.R Hopkins. Next, the Camerata Orchestra segued into their repertoire with three songs. The first was a holiday classic, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” by Bullock. It left the audience in high spirits, looking forward to the upcoming winter break. Next was “Sicilienne” by Fritz Kreisler, an emotional, expressive song that left many of the audience members touched. Finally, their concluding selection was “Frosty the Snowman,” a traditional holiday tune that many were familiar with. The ensemble played all the songs with great attention to detail and was able to switch between styles quickly and efficiently. 

The final small ensemble was the 4 Seasons String Quartet, featuring four juniors in the orchestra program: Phoebe Tan, Alissa Ye, Chloe Chan, and Roman Sadowski. They performed two pieces, including “Last Christmas” by George Michael and “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen. In both classic songs, the audience was able to follow along and enjoy the pieces to their heart’s content. The ensemble played wonderfully and truly displayed their skill and passion for their art. Finally, the Chamber Orchestra showcased three songs. The first was “Suite of Carols,” by Leroy Andreson, which displayed the holiday spirit and brought together tunes of many classic carols. Next was “We Three Kings” by J. H Hopkins, with a fabulous solo by senior Spandan Chandra on violin and accompaniment on piano by junior Roman Sadowski. To end the concert, the piece “Der Heyser Bulgar” by Bob Lipton was featured, which was upbeat and left the audience in a positive mood. 

Overall, the JPS Orchestra concert was a huge success and showed the hard work students and staff have put in during the first few months of the school year. The audience had a wonderful time and enjoyed the different genres of music presented. It was a great lead into the holiday season and left everyone in great spirits.