YORK VILLAGE - Along with a standing-room crowd, I attended the first of the two recent evening York High School Holiday Concerts held in the town's largest "concert hall," namely St. Christopher's Church on Route 1A.
It was a beautiful evening performance, well-planned under the direction of Rob Westerberg, who certainly is to be congratulated concerning the level of professionalism he achieves, working with York High School students of various ages, from freshmen to seniors. It cannot be easy and clearly involves a tremendous amount of planning and work - about three months, according to the event's program notes.
From its opening, consisting of a processional of youthful vocalists holding candles while entering a darkened hall, singing the traditional "Silent Night," which dates to 1818 in Austria, to the event's closing hymn, "Crossing the Bar," a modernist work by Vermont composer Gwyneth Walker inspired by Alfred Lord Tennyson's thoughts; i.e., poetry, and sung by the York High School Chorus of over 100 students, the evening sped by, covering a remarkable and interesting range of music, both new and old, some clearly holiday-inspired, some more general, albeit pertinent.
Certainly, the performance gave testimony to the York High School Music Department's ability to select and bring to life an amazing complexity of music from various eras and cultures and, at the same time, to educate students as well as the community, through program notes, concerning the history and background of the pieces selected, including their appropriateness for a splendid evening such as this.
After the lovely and touching procession, the York High School Treble Choir, consisting of sophomores and freshmen, sang five works: a mix of traditional songs such as the 19th-century "O Holy Night" and 20th-century works such as the lively "Gonna Build a Mountain" from the Broadway musical "Stop the World, I Want to Get Off." Next, the York High School Chamber Singers, an older group, tackled seven songs, including "I'll Be Home for Christmas," which touched the hearts of the seniors in attendance, and a lovely 16th-century "chanson" (French lyrical song) "While I Do Live" ("Tant Que Vivray"), here translated and sung in English but which will be performed by the YHS Chamber Singers in its original French text in the spring.
Finally, the York High School Chorus took the stage with five songs, including "Cradle Carol" based on a melody by the famous English composer, Ralph Vaughan Williams and the ever-popular and cheerful "Carol of the Bells," which is Ukrainian in origin and simulates the ringing of the bells, with overlapping parts: "Ding-Dong-Ding-Dong...on they send.. on without end... Ding-Dong-Ding-Dong... their joyful tone... to every home...Ding-Dong-Ding-Dong..."
In addition to the variety of works selected and their accomplished presentation, there is the educational merit of such a program - for both students and audience. In preparing for this concert, students not only learn to analyze compositions, including the subtleties involved, and to understand the composer's intent and achievement, but also are exposed to the historical background for the pieces, to the work of noted composers such as the aforementioned Ralph Vaughan Williams, the World War II background under which Bing Crosby made famous his homecoming melody. In studying the words of Dr. Martin Luther King's favorite gospel song, "Precious Lord, Take My Hand" they also learn that the version they are singing was a later one, incorporating his words after his death.
Congratulations to all participants - singers, teachers and Director Rob Westerberg - for a fine accomplishment, certainly sufficient evidence of achievement to reward them with a superior performance and rehearsal hall - perhaps possible someday through combined community efforts.
For further information about York High School Music Department activities, visit www.yorkschools.org/YHS/YHS_Music.
