Winter Concert’s Revival Hits All the Right Notes
Ms. Williams and the Symphonic Band opened the performance. Photo: Jacklyn Tsipkis and Zoë Ray
By JACKLYN TSIPKIS and ZOË RAY
The anticipated return of the Winter Concert finally arrived on December 15. On the rainy Thursday evening, students, teachers, and faculty gathered in the auditorium to watch performances from the Symphonic Band and the Wind Ensemble.
The annual concert was put on hold for the past two years due to Covid and other issues. It’s been a long road back.
“One of the things for this performance in particular was getting back to building the stamina to come in every day at eight in the morning and play constantly,” said Mr. Daniel Jordan, a band teacher.
“It takes a lot of energy and a lot of coordination,” he said. “It also means coordinating with Ms. [Melissa] Williams about what's going on and getting her insight on things. Then just a lot of rehearsal.”
Anastasia Ababiy ‘25, a clarinet player who performed in the Symphonic Band, felt the extent of the preparation. “The songs that we played kind of all piled on top of each other, so we basically performed everything that we learned throughout the year,” she said.
The Symphonic Band performed first, directed by Ms. Williams. They performed “Ukrainian Christmas” and “African Adventure” by Robert Sheldon, “Haunted Mansion” by Matt Neufeld, and “Guantanamera” arranged by Victor Lopez.
Next came the Wind Ensemble, directed by Mr. Jordan, who performed “I Like It” by Tom Wallace, “The Nutcracker Suite” arranged by Ed Huckeby, and “Rollicking Hanukkah” by Randell D. Standridge.
Students and faculty were thrilled about the show's outcome, with the crowd's energy exceeding expectations.
“I think the band performed amazingly; they sounded so great, both the Symphonic Band and the Wind Ensemble,” said Dr. Robert Quinlan, the school’s principal. “I think the audience was amazing. I saw people running up to take pictures, people were filming, they were clapping, everyone was smiling.”
The participants themselves felt the thrill of the concert, especially the band teachers.
“I can't really express how much fun I had, especially playing the last tune, ‘Rollicking Hanukkah,’” said Mr. Jordan. “They killed it, it was so good. It was a great first Winter Concert back.”
Muhammad Sheharyar ‘23, a bass player in the Wind Ensemble, said, “Honestly that was one of the best performances I’ve seen across Midwood history, and I’ve been here for four years.”
Ababiy said being a part of the concert offers the enjoyable experience “to do something fun with your friends. You gotta love it.”
Even some students from surrounding schools such as Edward R. Murrow High School attended the concert.
“The students performed very well and I would definitely attend another Midwood event,” said Murrow’s Matthew Calder ‘23.
It has been a season of revival for Midwood’s music department. The marching band led the way in the Homecoming Parade earlier this year, and upcoming events such as the Spring Concert and Asian Fest will also feature the Wind Ensemble. It’s nice to hear music back in the halls of the hive.