The holiday season at NDP is one of the most wonderful times of the year. Christmas at NDP would not be complete without the annual Christmas concerts. These events are more than just a performance, they are a community gathering that embodies the true meaning of NDP and the holiday season. Every year the Concert Band, String Orchestra, Concert Chorus, and Chamber Choir perform their musical pieces for the school right before the famous Christmas Liturgy.
I asked a performer from each musical group the following two questions: “What is your favorite thing about the Christmas concerts?” and “What is your favorite piece you performed at the Christmas concerts?”.
Lynn Eckenrode, from the Concert Band, stated, “My favorite thing about the Christmas Concerts is the teamwork and camaraderie it takes to put them on. Without every person working their hardest, we wouldn’t pull it off!”. When asked about her favorite piece she performed, she responded, “My favorite piece we played was by far “Sleigh Ride”. At first, I couldn’t stand the song, because of how difficult it was to me, and how naturally the upperclasswomen played it (it’s a classic NDP Christmas song). Eventually, after hours of help and practice, I was able to play it at the in-school concert sufficiently. The encouragement and support from everyone really motivated me and drove me to perfect the piece”.
Anna Crawley, from the String Orchestra, said, “My favorite thing about the concerts is being able to hear the beautiful culmination of music. If feels extra special knowing firsthand how much work and love was put into the music to be able to share it with others. Also, the Christmas concert is fun because it has a lot of Christmas carols and really gets you into the Christmas mood. My favorite piece this year was “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”. I thought that it was a pretty piece, and it was fun to play. As a cello, I tend to get the background stuff, but cellos have fun parts and even a melody in it.”
Sydney Newkirk, from the Chamber Choir and the Concert Chorus said, “My favorite thing about the Christmas concert is the Christmas feeling that we’re able to share with our family and the crowd through our performance. My favorite piece…I’d have to say either Holly Jolly or Candle Light Carol”.
Abby Marinari, from the Concert Chorus and the Chamber Choir stated, “My favorite thing about the Christmas Concert is genuinely the love and support students have for each other. Everyone bonds over the shared nerves and feelings that come with performing. I know in my experience, I haven’t yet done a concert where I’m not nervous, but so is everyone else so it makes it fun and exciting. It brings me so much joy to be close with both the people I’m performing with and those who are listening. It’s just beautiful to see so much support in one space.” When questioned about her favorite piece, she shared by saying, “My favorite piece was “Pat-a-pan” in Chamber choir. It was one of the more complicated pieces with all of the rhythmic structures, but it was really amazing, fun, and I’m really happy about the way it turned out.”
The joy of sharing the music each performer worked so hard to prepare brings warmth to each performer’s heart. NDP’s performing arts is like one big family. As a performer myself, I was overjoyed at the opportunity of sharing and watching the different performances with the NDP community and I know everyone else felt the same.