While the year comes to a wrap, the music scene at Sharon High School is still going strong. Coming this December 16 at 7:00 PM in the Auditorium, the Music Department will perform its Large Ensemble Winter Concert, featuring orchestral, choral, and band pieces of all genres. Despite this year’s new challenging schedule, students and ensemble directors are excited to showcase their hard work, a culmination of the past three months.

Choir will be performing three pieces: the classic Christmas song “Carol of the Bells,” a delightful Hanukkah song “Bidi Bom,” and a traditional choral piece “Come to the Music.”

“I am particularly excited for “Come to the Music.” First, it is vocally our most challenging song—it features a mixed meter that alternates between 6/8 and 2/4… so it has a groovy feel in the rhythm! The second reason I am excited is because it features student instrumentalists Charlotte Choi (‘25) on piccolo, Connor Lin (‘26) on percussion, and Neil Dutta (‘27) on piano. It has been fun to collaborate with them!” said Choir Director Mrs. Rachel Glenister.

Orchestra is preparing three pieces as well: “Prelude from Te Deum” by French Baroque composer Marc-Antoine Charpentier, “Dance of the Tumblers” from Tchaikovsky’s Snow Maiden opera, and “Fantasia on Greensleeves”—based on the English Folk song “Greensleeves”—by 20th-century composer Ralph Vaughan Williams.

“I am most looking forward to the “Fantasia on Greensleeves” as the Repertory and Honors Orchestras will perform it together. I love the rich sound of the full group. The solos in the piece are also very beautiful,” said Mrs. Ethier, the Orchestra Director at both Sharon High and Sharon Middle School.

Band’s repertoire includes five pieces. Douglas Akey’s “Peregrin,” Jacob De Haan’s “Ammerland,” Brant Karrick’s “Cumberland Falls Overture,” the Carpenters’ “Merry Christmas, Darling,” and Mariah Carrey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”

“I am excited for ‘All I Want for Christmas’ because it is a fun song and has become a tradition for Band,” said flutist Raghav Devulapalli, a sophomore.

Band Director Mr. Tim McGee said students have been energetic and eager with anticipation for the upcoming concert, although it’s been “tricky getting everyone to rehearse at the same time. There are four sections of Band with the new schedule this year, while I had only two last year.”

How New School Schedule Affects SHS Music

This year, Sharon High saw a change in the typical scheduling of school days. To accommodate the statewide physical education requirements, periods were shortened, and lunch times changed, but perhaps the greatest impact for the Music Department was shortening ACES from 45 minutes to 20 minutes. As a result, ensemble rehearsals have experienced a mix of ups and downs.

“The biggest challenge is definitely not meeting with the full groups all the time. Many students and I have expressed a kind of sadness at not being able to hear all the sections together and meeting with everyone on Fridays anymore,” said Mrs. Ethier.

“When music met during ACEs block, I was able to see 100% of vocal students at SHS all at the same time… With the new schedule this year, the chorus meets in 4 sections. This year, we have added three after-school rehearsals prior to each concert to get a full group rehearsal,” said Mrs. Glenister.

Still, she remains optimistic, noting that everyone has been actively growing in their musicality. “I have had several students step up to support their peers throughout the year, and the new freshmen are a hard-working bunch! It is an AWESOME time putting it all together. When 120+ students sing full volume… I think the choir room almost collapsed. It was really cool,” she said.

Smaller rehearsal groups have merits that compensate for the downsides too, though. 

“In years past, I don’t think we have had this much power. When we met in larger groups, voices could ‘hide’ more easily. The smaller sections of choir have allowed me to work with students in smaller groups to support vocal development better,” said Mrs. Glenister.

This year’s schedule changes meant that music classes became integrated like any other academic class, having their own allotted times during the day.

Mrs. Ethier shared, “Having class during the rotation this year means that attendance has been outstanding as compared with having class during ACES… The little bit of extra time for rehearsals has made a difference in how prepared I feel we are for this concert.”

Many students have agreed that smaller rehearsal groups have greatly improved cohesion between instrument sections and everyone’s quality of work overall.

“Now [we’re] able to isolate problems more effectively, making progress much faster,” said Sophomore violinist Felix Wang.

“I think the schedule change is for the better: we get to spend more time practicing repertoire with a lot of attention to detail, helping us perform better in concert,” said Devulapalli.

Readers, whether you’re a Christmas Classics connoisseur or looking for a diverse program—from Baroque to Romantic to Contemporary—played by hundreds of talented student musicians, free up some time this coming Monday, December 16, at 7:00 PM.

“When students are connected through the music we perform, I see their buy-in. I see their joy. I see students whose eyes are shining and who are united in the music we make,” said Mrs. Glenister.

The Sharon High Music Department invites you to join in their yuletide joy.