By Emily Thai
The Prowler Staff Writer
The Bridgewater-Raritan High School Choir program presented its annual winter concert on Monday evening, December 15, a spectacular performance that showcased a diverse range of compositions to its audience.
Under the guidance of Lisa Rotondi, the Bridgewater-Raritan High School Choir Director, each of the multiple choirs practiced repertoire and upgraded their technique. When the time came for the winter concert, every group was well-prepared to present a breathtaking performance.
During the concert, several pieces were accompanied by brilliant pianist Chris Fortin, who is known for playing improvisations amidst transitions and enhancing every group of singers.
The first batch of the night was the Mixed Choir, composed mostly of freshmen and newcomers with soprano, alto, tenor, and bass voices. This group grew from 28 members in the previous year to a staggering 76 Bridgewater-Raritan High School students.
Their first piece was an adaptation of Robert Frost’s Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening, musically leading the audience through a beautiful, wintry forest.
Next was Maoz Tsur, one of the most enduring songs of Hanukkah. This arrangement for choir features two sections, combining the traditional harmonies of the original with modern English styles.
Lastly, they performed a Latin hymn, "Veni, Veni," by Michael John Trotta. It is typically sung during Advent, the season preceding Christmas, observed by many Christian denominations.
Following the impressive presentation from Mixed, the Select Treble honors choir, made up of soprano and alto singers, stepped into the spotlight.
They first sang “Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind,” its lyrics stemming from Shakespeare’s play “As You Like It.” An abundance of composers, from Shakespeare’s lifetime to the present, have adapted this text about the merry seasons of life.
Subsequently, the treble voices performed Kuumba by Dr. Zanaida Stewart Robles. Kuumba is the sixth out of the seven principles of Kwanzaa and means “creativity.” As Dr. Robles encourages choirs to add their own artistic input, the Treble choir transformed with improvised piano from Mr. Fortin, djembe from Maeve Siddons, and original poetry written and recited by juniors Adrienne Chavez and Laila Acquista.
Their last piece was an arrangement of "Winter Song," an evocative piece featuring solos from high school senior Piya Advani and sophomore Maryn Bennett. The original songwriters and performers, Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson, repetitively ask if love is alive, and the end of this piece provides the answer: love is alive, here in this room and in our hearts and actions.
The crowd then welcomed Ensembros, the all-male group consisting of tenor and bass voices. They truly brought the holiday spirit with their jazzy rendition of Carol of the Bells.
Switching gears, the all-female Lorelei Ensemble walked on stage. Lorelei meets weekly after school on Wednesdays and specializes in challenging music for soprano and alto voices.
They performed two pieces that are both interpretations of old works and well-known in the choral music world, but stray from the average holiday setlist.
First was Cold December Flies Away, based on the carol “El Desembre Congelat” from the Catalan region of Spain.
Their second piece, by Canadian composer Sarah Quartel, was an arrangement of “The Huron Carol,” renamed Iesous ahatonnia’ to reflect its First Nations origins. It includes new passages by Wendat poet Andrée Levesque Sioui and is sung in both English and the indigenous Wendat language. This work encourages people to learn from the past and build a better future.
The final choir of the night was Symphonic Choir, the honors-level choir composed of mixed voice ranges.
They opened with The Unexpected Early Hour from a set of pieces known as A Winter Breviary, all by composer Reena Esmail. The Unexpected Early Hour is based off of Ahir Bhairav, an Indian classical raag, which is the equivalent of a scale. It uses an energetic compound time signature, and the raag it is based on is associated with morning hours and the tones of bells. Additionally, the lyrics are correlated to the Christian services of Evensong, Matins and Lauds.
Their second exhibition was Dean Richel’s Hanukkah Scherzo, which layers voices to create a spinning effect and represent a spinning dreidel. A scherzo is a short piece of music, sometimes featured in the middle of a sonata, symphony or other type of larger work.
They ended with a composition by Norwegian composer Ola Gjeilo and poet Charles Anthony Silvestri, titled Tundra. This ethereal piece centers around a place very dear to Ola Gjielo—the mountains in Norway, between Oslo and Bergen. It featured soprano solos from seniors Chloe Lombardo and Maddie Van Dyke.
The night’s fesitivities concluded with a grand performance encompassing all the choirs combined.
A four-hand piano accompaniment from Mr. Fortin and high school junior Anton Fomin joined the singers in Ding Dong Merrily on High by Cincinnati organist Howard Hevley, leaving the audience in a joyous holiday spirit.
Matt McCarthy, the Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District Supervisor of Arts Education, applauded the performance.
"Ms. Rotondi and her stellar ensembles put on a fantastic concert. The performances set the perfect ambiance for the season," he said. It is always a treat to hear these accomplished young singers."
Click on link below to view the Bridgewater-Raritan High School 2025 Winter Choir Concert