The Calvin Christian Christmas Concert is a long-awaited event in the school community. Directors have been preparing students for months, and students have been earnestly practicing during and outside of class. A lot of hard work and time from both students and staff was put into this, and this year, many parents, other family members, and friends attended to fill the large acoustic Jenison Auditorium. Luke Austin, a trumpet player, had the privilege of giving the opening statement to the audience at the start of the concert. He read Psalm 150 and focused on verse 6: “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord,” reminding us all in a powerful way that as Christians, we are all here for the glory of God! Hannah Vincent, a senior in band, choir, and Honors Choir, followed up with a beautiful prayer, preparing us for the music to come.
The Concert Choir came first, directed by Mr. Malefyt. At first, no one seemed to be on stage; there was just Mr. Malefyt with his baton and Mrs. Adema at the piano. The music started, and as a surprise to the audience, the choir members began to sing as they walked on stage from either end. This first song was called “Sorida” and it gave the stage a really cool effect and was a great beginning to the rest of the concert. Nicole Gibbard also got a chance to show her singing talent in a well-performed solo. The choir then followed up with a few more songs, including a beautiful arrangement of the Israeli national anthem called “Hatikva.”
The band, directed by Mr. Frampton, played directly after the choir. The first piece was played by all woodwinds from the corner of the auditorium. It featured multiple solos and the song was obviously very well-rehearsed and therefore played well too. They then went on to play a few other Christmas themed pieces and, while they struggled a bit with tempo, the melodies still came out very clear and sounded great. The band then ended with an interpretation of “The Lord of the Dance.” This piece was well executed and left the audience forgetting anything that had gone wrong in the first place.
Apart from Concert Choir, there was also the Honors Choir: a smaller choir for students who would like to participate in a group whose pieces are more vocally challenging. This choir, also directed by Mr. Malefyt, started off with an a capella rendition of a classic tune, “Linus and Lucy” from the Peanuts animated television specials. This piece was a terrific way for the students to showcase their singing range. The group then finished off their performance with a fast-paced African style song called “Kuimba Nafsi Yangu.” This gave a strong, energetic finish to a very well practiced choir.
The orchestra played next. The group started with a few Christmas carol collection pieces, one of which included the brass players from the band. However, the highlight of this group’s playing, and my personal favorite, was an arrangement of “Winter” by Vivaldi, featuring a solo by Emily Sall. Before playing, Mr. Malefyt read aloud to the audience a poem on which the song was based, a reflection of the winter season and the joys and struggles it brings. This poem really helped the audience and string players encapsulate the feeling and purpose of the song. These fast-paced notes kept the audience on the edge of their seats as Emily displayed her amazing talent. The song finished with resounding applause for the players and specifically Emily and her solo work.
To keep up the annual Calvin Christian tradition, the concert was ended with a finale of “The Hallelujah Chorus” by Handel. As usual, this piece was a blend of all of the school’s music groups: band, orchestra and choir. Anyone attending the event in the audience was also welcomed to come up on stage and join in the singing. All three groups and the audience blended together almost perfectly and filled the entire auditorium with the music. After this beautiful finale students went out to greet loved ones in the audience to talk, and discuss what I can say in all confidence was a very successful Christmas Concert!
