Holiday Concert
Monday morning, Music Department Chair Peter Schultz walked downtown to the bookstore to buy a gift and in the process was stopped four times by Exeter residents who each thanked him for the annual Holiday Concert he had organized that Friday. The concert, which featured multiple Academy bands, orchestras and choirs, as well as a few student-run a capella groups, is a “big part of what makes [many Exeter residents’] holiday special,” according to Schultz. To Schultz and his music department colleagues, the concert is a way for the Academy to give a gift to the larger Exeter community while also giving students a chance to perform their music for a special occasion.
The audience consisted mostly of Exeter residents, day student families and retired senior citizens, according to senior Eliran Oz, who performed during the event with the concert choir. Several buses full of Academy students arrived at Exeter High School, but fewer students attended this year’s concert than the last, which was held at Phillips Church due to snow. This was likely due to the long bus ride to EHS and the fact that Exonians had classes the next day, said upper and fellow performer Zea Eanet. Nonetheless, Eanet said that a good amount of students attended the concert, considering the circumstances, and the present audience as a whole was “very positive.”
“They stood up for Auld Lang Syne and they were really, really into it: super receptive and not hostile at all,” Eanet said.
Schultz said that the concert served it’s purpose in lifting the audience’s spirits and souls for such a special time of year. There is a large musical tradition associated with the holidays, said Schultz, and that tradition is “a very important part of what makes the holiday time special—for everybody, those who play the music and those who listen to it.”
The performers did extremely well, according to Schultz, particularly considering the limited amount of time they all had to rehearse and warm up before the show. They “knocked themselves out,” with their performances, Schultz said, and taking time away from their schedules was a “tremendous act of non sibi.”
Despite the difficult time commitment, many of the students who performed said they enjoyed themselves and found the concert to be an escape from the business of school. Bringing joy to an auditorium was a wonderful way to celebrate the holiday season, according to senior and performer Olivia Reed. Reed said the concert was a great way to give back to the town. Lower and performer Oren Stern agreed that the “ability to share our passions [for music] with others for their enjoyment is a beautiful feeling.” Performing in front of a crowd with a large group of other student musicians is always rewarding, Stern said, especially when “most learning is done at a desk or with 11 other people.” Stern said he sometimes lost needed homework time to prepare for the concert and “pursue [his] musical passion,” but in the end he was impressed by what each of the ensembles accomplished with their allotted rehearsal time.
The jazz ensemble in particular brought their music to life, according to lower and performer Isaac Robinson, who thought the concert as a whole was incredible. Performing gave students the opportunity to pause and evaluate their improvement, and offered them a special experience. “Live music is one of the wonders of life that can never truly be communicated through technology,” he said.
The concert also proved to be quality bonding time for some groups, including the a capella group the Exeteras. According to senior Chad Lynn, the concert helped to put the Exeteras members into the holiday spirit, more so than previous years. “We have struggled somewhat in years past to bring out A game to angeling, but seeing the boys on the bus ride back to Exeter after the concert, I have no doubt that that won't be a problem this year,” Lynn said. Lynn appreciated the chance for the a capella group to perform for an audience outside of the Academy community, and said he hopes the Exeteras will return to the holiday concert in future years.
According to Schultz, the concert could not have happened without the help of the three Academy custodians on duty, the series managers and the ensemble directors who all made sure everything ran smoothly. Schultz also wanted to thank the students, who he said did a wonderful job. “I think the students did beautifully, I’m very proud of them,” he said.