Choir and Orchestra Perform Winter Concert

The high school’s Orchestra and Choir joint concert took place on Wednesday, December 10. This concert marks the first joint event since Dr. Leo Zumpetta took over the choir, bearing the responsibility for both the singers and string instruments at the same time. All of the performers worked diligently to navigate their rehearsal schedules, balancing schoolwork and sports along the way.

The choir had a multitude of songs to practice, and regardless of a new leader’s skill, the transition of management is never seamless—except this time. The choir pulled through and performed at their best for the concert: “The day after the concert, Dr. Zumpetta praised us and described how proud he was of us. Usually, the best performances of songs we showcase are one to two weeks before the concert, during a rehearsal. This year, however, [Dr. Zumpetta] thought that all of our songs were performed at their best during the concert,” said junior Nathaniel Gushurst, a member of several choral ensembles including Chamber Choir, Ranchers, Chorale, and Concert Choir.

Dr. Zumpetta wasn’t the only one to recognize the choir either; many of the orchestra performers agree that the choir was the star of the recent concert: “The choir truly shined. Even as someone who isn’t a part of that ensemble, I could easily still tell that Dr. Zumpetta greatly enabled the work and effort that the singers put forth to turn their performance into a masterpiece. And for orchestra, despite having some trouble because of our inconsistent practice schedule, we performed really well this past concert,” said junior Mia Nie, who plays the violin.

While the orchestra put on a stellar display of talent, many of the performers were disappointed that they had to forgo a handful of their traditional songs. The songs that were left out were designed to be played in unison with the band, but because Dr. Zumpetta took responsibility for the choir this year, the orchestra and choir played together while the band went solo. Either way, this year’s joint concert between the orchestra and choir was a massive success and all of the participants should be proud of their performances.