Holiday cheer filled the MPR as parents, teachers, and students waited for the Bella Voce and Cantabile Honors Chorale second quarter choir concert, A World of Wonder, to commence. With poinsettias lining the stage and cheery-red programs, the audience could tell this was going to be a joyous performance. And it was, beginning with Bella Voce singing fun holiday carols.

Bella Voce performed five songs from varying cultures and holidays. They were “Wolcum Yole,” “Hanukkah,” “El Rorro,” “Sleigh Bells,” and “Jingle Bells.” With more and more energy coming in as each song progressed, the music echoed off the walls of the MPR and right into the attentive audience members. What was pleasantly surprising, though, was the use of instruments in these songs. Right off the bat, during “Wolcom Yole,” Chorus Director Cori VanderLey introduced sophomore Chase Kozak on harp, and then during “Hanukkah,” freshman Alexa Page, seventh grader Natalie VanderLey, and eighth grader Kate Wilson transitioned to percussion. “I think it’s a cool new side of choir to play instruments to the music we’re singing,” Wilson comments.

As Bella Voce finished their period of the performance with a fun, bouncy take on the classic Jingle Bells, they transitioned off the stage. But only three people returned onstage: seniors Beth Heaton, Andy Hahnke, and junior Joey Vitagliano. They got out percussion instruments and began to play as the rest of Cantabile walked out around the audience and began to sing. “My favorite song was ‘Ogo ni fun Oluwa’ because I got to rock out on the djembe and I love African music,” Heaton says.

The chorale continued on with their other six songs, “While By My Sheep,” “Garbe Rame,” “Gesu Bambino,” “Mi Yitneni Of,” “El Desembre Congelat,” and “Pat-a-Pan.” But a favorite was definitely their traditional final number, the classic “Sleigh Ride.” Mrs.VanderLey invited Cantabile alumni up onstage to sing with the group, so up went Draven Rutland and Dylan Freymuth, class of 2014. The audience was clapping along to the singers’ snaps and bopping along to their sways. “It was awesome,” Rutland grins. “It’s always cool to be up there and sing with your friends.”

The concert brought together different cultures, styles, instruments, and just music overall. “Every culture has their own interpretation of holidays, but they all come to the same meaning,” says eighth grader Rebecca Ger. And they each one brings happiness and fun, just like A World of Wonder did for its audience and performers.