The HHS Music Department hosted their annual winter concert on Tuesday, December 16th. The winter concert is often the biggest concert of the year for the department, and this year was no different, with performances by both bands, strings, choir, jazz band, and more. 

Despite it being a larger concert, the main objective is simply to have fun for both the musicians and the audience. Senior Dylan Jaffe enjoys the impact that the concert has on the community.

“All of our concerts are amazing for the community and they give opportunities for people to come out and enjoy live music. Our winter concert, specifically this year, featured a lot of well-known Christmas songs, so it was extra fun to see the audience clapping and singing along,” Jaffe said. 

Sophomore Annaliese Rhodes also enjoys the familiarity of the music she is playing during the concert. 

“My favorite part of the winter concert is getting to play some of my favorite Christmas songs as well as music from movies I’ve grown up watching, such as Home Alone,” Rhodes said.

An HHS tradition is playing the classic carol “Sleigh Ride” at the end of each winter concert. A new twist has been added over the past couple of years, however, allowing Blue Streak alumni to come play with the current band members.

This year, among those alumni were current Rocktown students affected by the school split who were granted an opportunity to play music in their old school. Jaffe enjoys this new tradition. 

“Having the alumni come back [to play] Sleigh Ride is a great way to keep the community going and provides a chance for all to come together and enjoy music. Considering most who come back are from Rocktown, it gives them an opportunity to continue to keep in touch with their friends, even outside of marching season,” Jaffe said. 

Even with all the fun that is the finished product, preparation for the concert still comes with various challenges, mainly the quick turnaround time from the fall concert to the winter concert. Senior Carlos Lopez detailed the hardest part of such little time to prepare. 

“I think the hardest part of preparing for this concert was definitely the amount of practice we got as an ensemble, as we lost some time due to the weather, but it’s all good because we recovered and made it happen,” Lopez said. 

Because the concert includes so many ensembles, it is a meticulous process not only to make the schedule for the night, but also to know where you need to be. Jaffe played in multiple ensembles throughout the night.

“The most challenging part of the concert for me was definitely keeping track of everything I was in. I was a participant in the orchestra, symphonic band, and jazz band so it was a little confusing when to go on and come off,” Jaffe said. 

Even with all the fun that comes with the concert, there is some finality for the seniors with it being their last one. Lopez laments that this is his last opportunity, but also looks forward to watching in the coming years. 

“The winter concert is definitely my favorite concert of the year, and to think it was my last one is crazy, but I’m looking forward to watching the evolution of the band and hopefully coming back to play Sleigh Ride for years to come”.