Anticipation spread through the crowded audience the night of the choir concerts as parents and siblings readied their recording devices. At 6 p.m., Cori Jo VanderLey, choir director, lead her students out onto the stage and introduced them before they began to sing.

To kick off Horizon Honor’s winter concerts, Dolce Voce and Magnum Chordum combined their vocal forces to sing “Bethlehem Hallelu,” a smooth, tranquil piece that showcased the choir’s growth. “Hanerot Halalu” followed, and exemplified the students’ skill in Hebrew. Two Christmas classics, “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” and “Grown-Up Christmas List” were then sung, much to the delight of the audience, before they moved on to their Christmas carol medley piece “Christmas…In About Three Minutes”; this song was extensive and fun to listen to. They finished out with their wildly charming and hilarious rendition of “White Christmas,” which featured eighth graders Clayton Newsum, who sang bass melody, and Abe Newsum, who carried the tenor melody.

Soon after, Bella Voce led off with “Carol of the Bells,” which sounded very professional and clear. They followed with the Hanukkah song “Ha Shalom” and then went into “This Little Babe,” a beautiful and intense piece filled with choral echoes. They veered into more modern territory with “Santa Baby,” a number filled with various soloists. To drive their point home, they completed their segment with a medley piece of classic British carols called “Here We Come A-Caroling.”

Cantabile Honors Chorale began brightly with “Jubilate Deo,” an energetic Latin number filled with echoes. “Bashana Haba’ah” was next, and was a dark, moving Hanukkah piece entirely in Hebrew. The choir showcased their more silly side when they performed “Into the Night,” a short ditty that told the story of someone going out to fetch firewood. “Dulci Jubilo” delved into German language and the more classic side of Christmas caroling, and “Linus and Lucy” featured jazz piano and choral “doos” derived from the classic Charlie Brown theme. To finish out, they invited Cantabile alumni to join the choir onstage to sing their traditional rendition of “Sleigh Ride.”

Each performance was a success in its own way and proved to proud parents how hard their students had been working over the quarter. Congratulations to the choirs and VanderLey, and have a great holiday season!