By Bruce Piekarsa
Staff Writer
Christmas nears as the performing arts groups of Temple City spread holiday sprit at the Holiday Strings and “Songs For a Winter’s Night” concerts.
Holiday Strings Concert
Harmonies spilled from Orchestra’s instruments, reeling in the attention of the crowd with “Ghostbusters,” as cheers rang from the audience to accompany the piece. The TCHS gym exploded with applause following each ensemble on Nov. 28 for the Holiday Strings Concert.
Orchestra opened the concert with an arrangement of “Ghostbusters” by Michael Story, followed by “The Little Mermaid” arranged by Larry Moore and “The Idylls of Pegasus” composed by Richard Meyer.
“The biggest obstacle we face is sorting through different pieces because I want to make sure the group is able to play their music,” Co-Director Phil Bailey said. “Music isn’t just supposed to be easy, I want some of the pieces to be simpler and others to be challenging.”
As Orchestra’s performance concluded, Advanced Orchestra took their seats and prepared to present “Waltz of the Wicked,” “A Winter Poem,” an arrangement of “A Cold Winter’s Night” by Erica Donahoe and an arrangement of “A Festival of Lights” by Bud Caputo.
Following Advanced Orchestra’s performance, the ECKHO Quintet, consisting of seniors Kayson Chen, Chloe Luong, Owen Su and Ellen and Hayley Tang played their arrangement of “All I Want for Christmas” by Mariah Carey.
Honors Orchestra ended the night with an arrangement of “Halloween Dance Party” by Michael Hopkins, “The Fire Within” and an arrangement of “A Mad Russian’s Christmas” by Bob Philips.
“Songs for a Winter’s Night” Concert
Silence fell over the audience within the San Gabriel Mission Playhouse as the “Songs for a Winter’s Night” holiday concert began on Dec. 5.
The annual concert features all the choir groups within the school district along with Brighter Side, TCHS Choreo, Dragonflicks, Festival Orchestra, which consists of students from both orchestra and band, and Honors Orchestra.
The first half of the concert featured younger groups such as the elementary school and Oak Avenue choruses, followed by a showcase of TCHS Choreo before the intermission.
The second half of the concert consisted of highschool groups, accompanied by collaborative performances with the Oak Choir. The final piece, “Hallelujah Chorus,” featured the TCHS Choir groups, Festival Orchestra and alumni.
“We put a lot of work and effort into making it a fantastic concert, and we have a lot more harmonies this year compared to previous years,” Brighter Side Bass senior Nathaniel Leonard said. “So if you didn’t come to this one, come next year because it’s really awesome.”