River Dell High School’s annual winter concert is finally here! Every year, right before the holiday break, the River Dell Music Department hosts the winter concert which features several different groups. The concert is Thursday, December 18th at 7 p.m. The groups performing include Marching Band, Hawkapella, Concert and Select Choir, and Concert Band.
The Marching Band director, Mr. Vitetta, spoke about the Marching Band’s role in the concert. “We’re typically the opening act. So basically, we set the tone and set the mood. We make it really festive. we make a big entrance. We march down the aisles and everyone turns their heads.” The RDMB is expected to play three songs, as well as debuting a new song. “We have a new song we will be debuting for the first time. We will be playing the finale for the field show as the finale for the concert.”
Mr. Vitetta also spoke about how hard working the RDMB has been. “We rehearse a lot. At this point in the year, the band has done dozens of rehearsals and almost two dozen performances. They’re well-seasoned a couple of months into school.”
The River Dell Marching Band includes several different captains and majors who really allow for an amazing performance. Members include, drum majors Iris Peng and Jeff Jeong, field captain Atiya Jackson. Zach Rabinowitz as the drum captain. Ted Erdos as the brass captain. Emma Chong as the wood captain. Hailey Cardenas as the clarinet section leader. Viviana Suh as the flute section leader. Color Guard captains are Jace Gramatges and Caroline Boyle and Caroline Koenig. The head manager is Cam Castellari.
Hawkapella officers, Maya Sakai-Chen and Juwon Yi spoke of the hard work that goes into rehearsing and creating the right sound. “We’ve been rehearsing around three months for the winter concert. We try to listen to the songs and try to find the message of the songs. We break up into sectionals. altos, sopranos, tenors, and bases break up and each go into their separate rooms.”
The Hawkapella officers spoke of the process of how these layers come together to create a single sound. “At the end of meetings, we come together and discuss how we’ve developed our music and sing all together eventually. A month away from the concert is when we try to memorize it.”
Hawkapella will be performing two songs on Thursday: “Higher Ground” by Stevie Wonder, arranged by Paul Langford and “Remembering Decembers” by Pinkzebra.
Concert Choir, Select Choir, and Concert Band will be performing several songs. The director for all three groups, Mr. Wilson, has prepared his students for this night full of music, and is eager to share it with the River Dell Community.
Mr. Vitetta encourages the River Dell Community to come out and support! “I would encourage students to come out and watch the concert. It’s free and it’s their friends and classmates who are involved. It’s always good support. Check out the music and really see what goes into the show.”
The River Dell community and the music department cannot wait to see everyone there!
