From Snowfall to Sound: The Orchestra’s Winter Fantasy
On Tuesday, Dec. 10, the Samo Orchestra held their annual winter concert in front of a sold out Barnum crowd. Crowned by fake snow machines, Santa hats and festive lights projected across the walls, the near three hour show doubled down on the entertainment factor this time around. All seven of Samos orchestras were represented and played a minimum of two pieces each, ranging from movements by distinguished composers such as Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Georges Bizet to Christmas classics such as “The Christmas Song” and “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” Symphony violinist Nathan DeBeech (’25) weighs in further on what separates Samo from other high school orchestra programs.
“It really shows how large our orchestra program is, which is not a common highschool thing,” DeBeech said. “Most orchestra programs are significantly smaller, even in college you won’t have as many orchestras in a single arrangement - here it is THE Samohi Orchestra Program and it’s pretty cool to see just how many pieces we can play and produce.”
The night kicked off with performances from the combined String and Concert Orchestras. Sinfonia then added on three pieces of their own, the last of which introduced the show's holiday theme in the form of “Winter Solstice” by Todd Parrish. Intermezzo followed up with the critically acclaimed “Symphony No. 29” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart before transitioning into the Concert Orchestra for the last acts before intermission. The student-led group's rendition of “Serenade for Strings, O. 48” produced vibrant rounds of applause in the audience to cap off the first half of the show.
After the break, Philharmonic produced one of the highlights of the concert, conquering all five movements of Georges Bizet's “Carmen Suite No. 1,” derived from one of the most famous classical operas of the 19th and 20th centuries. Symphony finished off a truly special night with two massive productions of 17 and nine minutes respectively, before putting the star on the tree with their annual performance of “Sleigh Ride.” Aerin Lee (’25), concert master of Samo’s top orchestra, explains why it remains the defining moment of their most unique yearly concert.
Samos Intermezzo orchestra performing Mozart's “Symphony No. 29” on Dec. 10, 2024, at the annual winter concert in Barnum Hall
“Winter concerts are special to me just because they’re more interactive with the audience,” Lee said. “We play more classical repertoire than we would for the fall concert, but for this one you pull tickets and instead of winning prizes you can go on stage during Sleigh Ride and conduct, play the sleigh bells and the clappers… I think it’s really fun that way, and more special.”
The song was certainly a special moment. With every performer sporting Santa hats, each section surprised the audience with their own unique addition; the first violins hitting their bows together along with the clapper, the violas covered in Christmas lights and more. Accompanied by the raffle winners on stage, Symphony orchestra left a heartwarming ring resonating through Barnum Hall as the crowd passed through blizzards of fake snow surrounding the exits. Lee reflects on a night that she believes all orchestras should be proud of.
“We were a little nervous because we were very ambitious with what pieces we were planning on playing, but I think it was really good and I was super happy with our performances,” Lee said. “That was also the most fun I’ve had playing Sleigh ride - it’s nice that I had the most fun when it’s my last year doing it.”