Choir members rehearse in preparation for the concert. photo by Andrew Villescas
The TJ choir program works to create a memorable Winter Concert.
At Thomas Jefferson High School, there are several choir groups: Men’s Choir, Women’s Choir, Advanced Choir, and Monticello. Each choral group has worked very hard for several months in preparation for the Winter Concert, which is on December 12th, starting at 7:00 p.m. There are approximately 100 students participating in this year’s concert. The concert is a winter and holiday celebration, so it will represent a confluence of cultures and different religious groups.
The tickets are free for anyone who wants to attend. The concert will feature pop songs like “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” as well as classical songs such as the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah. The Hallelujah Chorus has been performed for 276 years, which some faculty members join in on each year. Choir instructor Tambyr Reed has worked hard to prepare her students for the concert. The students care a lot about what they do and go through detailed drills to work out the hard parts of the songs to so that they are well prepared for the concert.
The students in choir are like a family; they work together and share many great experiences. Monticello freshman, Ben Abram, described his experience so far in choir as “very welcoming. I’m treated as if I were older, like them. I love the people in there because everyone accepts everyone.” With every concert, the students gain academic knowledge of music and apply it to the next year, next concert, and the next piece of music. “Choir students care a great deal about how they sound and perform so they naturally give 110% in addition to genuinely caring that all groups/sections do well,” explained Reed. Every student has a great respect for the other groups, and all work together for an amazing performance. Their first concert at TJ was very successful. Apart from the Winter concert on the 12th of December, the choir is performing at a country club, a radio station, and more.
Music is a universal language that can be shared globally. It is not just about the way a song sounds that makes it great, but how it makes people feel and it makes the students want to keep coming back to choir.
