Cozy yellow light inside the Raymond E Hartfield Performing Arts Center (PAC) contrasted the harsh cold winds of the night, wrapping warmth and excitement around young musicians, each one getting ready to deliver a beautiful winter holiday themed concert- the last one of 2024.
On the evening of Tuesday, Dec.10, the Westwood Orchestras prepared a winter show displaying excellent melodies and featuring classic Christmas works. At the concert, the directors decided to debut a small ensemble of beginning players, featuring former orchestra alumni. This group was made up of students who didn’t have a chance to explore music during middle school. Beginner Orchestra offered them a second chance to potentially add a lasting hobby to their character.
“It was really fun [and] cool to see the starting steps that the musicians were taking,” Orchestra Officer and bassist accompanist Pedro Badillo ‘25 said. “It was a little harder for them to make a good sound and they were really nervous, but once they started playing, especially when they had a backup with the [former orchestra alumni], they felt a lot more confident with their ability to play.”
Badillo went on to play with Concert Orchestra as the prominent violist, bringing together skill and harmonic improvement with their opening piece English Country Reels & Dances by Ignatius Sancho. This classic piece brought a sophisticated and elegant mood to the show, creating a pleasant listening experience.
“The overall concert was great,” Badillo said. “We were working tirelessly. In every rehearsal we got better. In Concert [Orchestra], there were a lot of freshmen, and they were learning how to practice but we got there eventually.”
Following the beautiful melodies of the Nutcracker Suite performed by the Philharmonic 2nd block Orchestra, the Philharmonic 8th block Orchestra opened strong with John Ireland’s Downland Suite, Mvt. I Prelude. Despite hardships during rehearsal, the intricate articulations of the sixteenth notes paired with the occasional lyrical quarter note voices led to a variety of delightful sounds, displaying the collaboration within each section.
“We could’ve definitely practiced more individually on our own time,” Diane Kim ‘28 said. “We didn’t [have to be] so sucked into the music [as] we could’ve focused more on the conductor.”
After a triumphant echo of all the string instruments, Edward Elgar’s Serenade for Strings, Mvt. II Larghetto brought a sense of nostalgia within the listeners. Serenade for Strings featured the unique number of 79 measures, each bar equivalent to one year of life. Through the low notes of the cello and expressive high notes from the violin section, the orchestra was able to bring a sincere and heartfelt feeling among the audience.
“My favorite piece was [the song by] Elgar,” Kim said. “We were able to express ourselves and work on staying together and show the meaning of the [piece]. It was [made up of] a somber mood [and] portrays the flow of life from when they were young to their [older years].”
Closing out the evening was the famous Christmas holiday piece, Sleigh Ride, composed by Leroy Anderson. Sleigh Ride was the fastest and most unique and fun piece played by the orchestra, displaying a spectrum of sounds such as a whip, silver bells, and the imitation of a horse whinny on the stage.
“My favorite piece had to be Sleigh Ride,” Orchestra Officer and violist Ella Steinheider ‘26 said. “It was very jazzy and Chistmassy and was just very fun to play together. [Overall], the concert went really [well]. It was really nice to be able to hear what the other orchestras were working on.”
