TOWAMENCIN- The auditorium darkens as dozens of instrument-touting performers, dressed to the nines, take their positions on the auditorium stage. This is one of the highlights of the school year, as North Penn’s Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Comprehensive Music Technology (CMT) Ensemble, Orchestra, and Chorus all take their turn in the spotlight to highlight the result of years of practice and months of dedicated preparation. It sure was beginning to look a lot like Christmas in the North Penn auditorium!

The immense success of the concert, however, could never be attained without strong work ethic that all the performers and directors put forward in the weeks and months leading up to the big day.

“The Winter Concert is such a rewarding experience because it pays off work that we’ve been putting in since September.  It’s hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel sometimes when you start a project months in advance, but these students did a remarkable job of staying focused on the goal.”, voiced choral director Matthew Klenk.

The hours of preparation undoubtedly paid off, as the performers put on an extremely popular show, highlighting a diverse group of musical numbers. From chorus’ take on the African American spiritual “O, What a Beautiful City” to the Orchestra’s rendition of the holiday classic  “It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” to CMT’s version of the Toto classic(and quite catchy) “Rosanna”, the concert truly had something to delight kids from 1 to 92.

Expressed junior and CMT member Ivana Agova, “The holidays are a time to bring people together and spread love and joy, to me there’s no better way to do that than through music.”

The annual concert is a truly unique North Penn event, because it is one of only a few days that the bell schedule alters so that every single person in the building gets a chance to see the show.

“I love the fact that for the two assemblies, NPHS shuts down for everyone to relax, enjoy the sounds of the season and appreciate the efforts of the music department.  Additionally the evening concert was a huge success. Seeing over 1000 people in the audience for the concert was another thrill for all performers,” said band director Ted Heller.

A notion that was shared by many members of the North Penn music family was how excited they were to show off their first pieces they have put together as a whole chorus.

Chorus and Women’s choir member Melina Calarco articulated, “I love performing in the winter concert because it’s the first performance for full chorus during the school year. The concert really reminds me of the love I have for the music program and chorus in general. It can be discouraging to work on pieces with only a small classroom of people without being able to picture the final product, and the concert shows us what we are capable of as a group.”

Calarco and other members of the choir, along with Klenk, could not speak more highly of how much they enjoyed the North Penn alumni joining them for a final performance of “Hallelujah.”

“The holiday concert is one of my favorite days of the year because so many alumni return to see our concert.  It’s so gratifying to know that NPHS music meant so much to them that they feel the need to come back in the years that follow.”, expressed Klenk.

Women’s Choir and Chamber Singers member Alison Coles added “The holiday concert was incredible. Everyone did an amazing job performing. My favorite part was the alumni coming up with the choir to sing Hallelujah Chorus!”

This tradition is clearly heartwarming for the concert audience, because while the alumni and choir were singing, the audience was full of smiling (and some even singing) right along with them. Happy Holidays North Penn!