Melodies of Christmas classics echo off the auditorium’s walls as students harmonize, creating a joyful noise that would fill the ears of everyone who found themselves in the Sullivan Performing Arts Center on Dec. 12, 2024 for the Christmas Choir Concert.
At the concert, choir students performed various songs, including the classic Christmas song Carol of the Bells, which was performed as the closing performance.
“My favorite song in the choir concert is Carol Of The Bells,” sophomore Fernando Olalde said. “[I enjoy singing the song] because it’s a lot better than the other songs I sing.”
The songs were well executed, and students in grades nine through 12 contributed to ensuring the success and enjoyment of the performance. The choir practiced these songs for at least three months before the concert. Multiple hours of after-school rehearsals and in-class preparation contributed to the success of the annual concert.
“Preparing for the concert starts with practices every Tuesday after school, ” sophomore Wisdom Robinson said. “[We] work nonstop and even practice between classes or at any moment when we have free time.
Because many families find the holiday season stressful and uneasy, the choir team strives for their concerts to go beyond just singing a few Christmas tunes. The choir concert remains an event that allows the community to relax, unwind, and find joy in a stressful atmosphere.
“I love [seeing people’s] smiling faces in the audience, ” Olalde said. “It just shows us that we’ve come so far and made a lot of progress.”
The Christmas concert continues to spread joy throughout the community. However, as students engage in the preparation and performance, they find themselves filled with joy and excitement, both from the experience of sharing their talents and the crowd’s response to their vocal performance.
“[I enjoy being a part of the choir concert] because I get to sing,” Robinson said. “[I also get to] set an example for the middle schoolers.”
Overall, the Christmas choir concert serves as a festive end to the semester for the Texas High School choir team, and its impact stretches far beyond the walls of the choir room.
“Performing makes me feel incredibly happy,” senior Julius Ricks said. “I’m going to college for vocal performance, so having this choir concert be my last for the 2024 year is bittersweet, but I am excited for what’s to come.”
