As the holidays approach, treat yourself to the gift of music. On Wednesday December 16, the Westhampton Beach High school Winter Concert will showcase the 2015-2016 Symphonic Choir’s first performance of the year. Conducted by chorus teacher Mr. Rubinstein, this year’s concert will be full of winter themes, to help audiences get into the spirit of the season.

This concert has been in the works since the end of last year, according to Mr. Rubinstein, “I spent the summer preparing the score and have the program ready.” Looking for songs that have “educational merit, that have a rich history, that is rooted in a foreign language, and that teach a specific musical concept, intricate rhythm values.” Every song for this year has been approved by the scrutinizing gaze of Rubinstein. He wanted to ensure that songs not only are pleasing to the ear, but also educational on multiple levels for the chorus students and has chosen well.

Technically the same song will be sung twice: Sanctus (Byrd): While the song was slightly edited by John Henry Fowler, the original tone of the song was preserved. The simple line Sanctus Dominus Deus Sabaoth Pleni sunt caeli et terra gloria tua Hosanna in excelsis or roughly translated to “Holy, Lord of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory, Hosanna in the highest,” has been elongated in a legato (drawn out) style to create an almost surreal sound. Festival Sanctus: is the contemporary take on the original Sanctus by William Byrd (1543-1623) written by John Levitt (1956-). These play to the choir’s strength of “singing sensitively”

This strength should also prove affective in Frostiana (Choose Something Like a Star): Written by Randal Thompson. Frostiana is a collection of songs based off of the poetry of famous Romantic Era poet, Robert Frost. The song the choir will be singing is “Choose Something Like a Star,” sung with varying tempos and dynamics (volumes) to maintain the rhythmic flow of Frost’s poetry. To add some diversity, the Symphonic Choir’s segment will conclude with the stark energy of Noel: Written by Todd Smith and arranged by Brad Holmes; this piece holds an African beat complete with rhythmic movement and a classic christmas line “Noel! Noel! Jesus has come to live with us. If you want to know the Child, you have to come kneel.” Written in the Kituba dialect,( i.e Jesu me kwisa ku zinga ti beto.)  

The Winter Concert has a wide variety of music and compositions from around the world. To start off your holiday season right, come to the free concert on December 16th.