Wayne Hills’ Symphonic Band, Chamber Choir, and Concert Choir will be performing their winter repertoire at two upcoming performances- the first during school hours on December 18th and the second in the evening on December 19th for the community and local care facilities. This concert will begin at 7:00 pm.

Under the direction of Matt Paterno and Alvin Scott, the band is working hard to perfect their pieces, some of which include Da Vincian Visions, Critical Mass, and Sleigh Ride; the latter is a combined piece with Concert and Chamber Choir.

Paterno, in an interview about the performances, said that the “band is performing some very challenging and advanced literature that is exciting to listen to and play.” He added that “the concert is filled with great music, some familiar traditional holiday tunes and some energetic and exciting new works.”

Taylor Keenan, a Freshman clarinet player, commented that “it’s exciting” performing at her first winter concert at Hills. Keenan is by no means an inexperienced musician; she not only played clarinet in middle school but was an instrumentalist in the Wayne Hills Patriot Marching Band. Keenan contrasted symphonic band with the marching band, noting that “the songs are longer.” She observed that symphonic band is much like middle school band, albeit with a more advanced repertoire.

Liam Fieggan, a Senior saxophone player, is the symphonic band’s 2017-2018 president. This being his last winter concert, Fieggan reflected on his last four years, saying how he has “spent so much time with the band community” and how “it feels weird to be leaving it.”

The Chamber Choir and Concert Choir are no less busy preparing their repertoire. Under the direction of longtime music educator Cara Palomba, who divides her time between Schuyler Colfax and Wayne Hills, the choirs are learning holiday classics such as O Little Town of Bethlehem and Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer, as well as lesser-known songs like Heap on More Wood and Light One Candle. Patriot Voices, Wayne Hills’ a capella group, will be performing Pentatonix’s That’s Christmas to Me. Although it did not perform at the annual Wayne Tree Lighting Ceremony this year, the Chamber Choir has a decidedly busy December planned; in the coming weeks, it will be caroling at Sunrise Senior Living, Schuyler Colfax Middle School, and Theunis Dey Elementary School.

Both the in-school and evening concerts are completely free. The band and choirs have been preparing their music since the first weeks of school and their members are excited to finally perform it.