Even while students at Memorial High School are engrossed in studying for final exams, attention is also being drawn to one of the school’s longstanding traditions.
“It’s the highlight of the first half of the year,” said David Osnowitz, district supervisor of fine arts and music. “[Residents] can expect a night of fun and holiday music.”
On Dec. 22, Memorial High School will open its auditorium doors to the community for their annual free Winter Concert featuring the marching/concert band and choral groups.
“This has been Memorial High School tradition since the 1920s, when the music department first put on their winter concert, [although] originally with just a band,” said Adelaide Luers, choral director.
The chorus first joined the annual Winter Concert around the 1970s, and has ever since shared the stage with their instrumental counterparts. The two groups of musicians also collaborate together on two annual favorites; the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah and an original rendition of Feliz Navidad arranged by the late William Caiazza, who was the music director for Memorial High School in the ’70s and ’80s.
The original score of Feliz Navidad was written by famed Latino performer Jose Feliciano. “It’s a full band arrangement, but it interjects Latin percussion solo,” said Robert Mann, band director. “We’re also doing standard band arrangements written by Leroy Anderson from the 1950s.”
The choral group and the band will also be performing some traditional Celtic Christmas carols.
Celebration of all traditions
The concert always includes an arrangement of classic Christmas carols, Hanukkah songs, and other seasonal holiday music.
“We include a medley of traditional Hanukkah pieces, and we will also perform the Festive Sounds of Hanukkah by Bill Holcombe,” said Mann.
For the members of Luers’ choral program, she tries to select arrangements that aren’t necessarily traditional holiday pieces, as well as the classic tunes everyone generally hears.
“This is music that [some of] the community doesn’t really listen to, so it’s a broadening experience,” said Luers. “My program includes Hanukkah songs, ‘We need a little Christmas’ from ‘Mame,’ a few pieces from pop culture, ‘Fields of Gold’ and two songs from the Doo Wop era.”
Although, there are some traditional pieces that both groups perform year after year, such as the Hallelujah Chorus, their individual selections vary annually.
Mann said, “My biggest goal is to give the kids a good learning experience and they learn by playing these pieces.”
The musicians
Preparations for the concert have been going on since September, and the concert band has also finished their marching band duties with the close of the football season. Come spring, however, Mann is hoping to implement smaller groups like a jazz ensemble.
“There is only one band, and they do marching and concerts,” said Mann. “In the spring I do smaller ensembles. I would like to have a percussion ensemble as well.”
Luers does run different performing groups depending on level of skill. The main performance group is known as the Charoliers, which mainly meet after school, and the members range from freshmen to seniors.
“Then there are two different classes [that are part of the curriculum] – the freshman chorus ensemble and the vocal music class,” said Luers. “All of them are expected to particpate in the winter concert.”
To further broaden their performance that evening, the choral performers will be singing Brazilian carols and the classic Ukrainian piece “Carol of the Bells,” which the Choraliers will sing a capella.
The next day, an encore presentation of the concert performance will be done for the Memorial High School student community during their winter assembly before letting out for break.
Last for some
For some of the graduating seniors in the program, this final winter concert will be bittersweet, but are very satisfied with the progress they have made with their peers since last year.
“We have grown a lot since last year, so I’m glad to be going out with a bang,” said senior Jesse Capelli, 18, trumpet player. “This last concert is going to be a good one.”
“I’m sad, but it’s a good sad,” said senior Alyson Abril, 18, from the Choraliers. “Over the past four years I have grown as a person, as well as a musician. This room holds a lot of memories.”
Both groups of musical performers have also consistently performed well and received excellent to superior ratings in annual competitions.
The most important thing the family at Memorial High School wishes to emphasis is that the concert is free and open to the entire community of West New York.
“The doors are open, and we hope to see as many people as possible,” said Mann. The concert is free and will be held Thursday, Dec. 22 at 7:30 at Memorial High School on Park Avenue.