The crowd fell silent as the first few notes of the String Ensemble rang throughout the theatre. Members from Newton North’s Orchestra, Concert Choir, String Ensemble, Vocal Ensemble, and Family Singers joined together in this year’s Winterfest II concert Thursday, Jan. 30.

The concert consisted of four songs, each incredibly powerful and all conducted by music teacher Adam Grossman. 

The opening number, with its beautiful delicate melody, was the String Ensemble, in their rendition of Ludwig Van Beethoven’s “Quartet Opus 18, No. 4.” This piece left the audience wanting more with each break in the music, and finished strong at the end, together and in perfect tune.

The Family Singers followed, singing a Latin song, “Te Deum” by Michael Haydn. This soft piece swept the audience off their feet with its beautiful melodies and harmonies. 

Learning a song in another language brought a unique challenge to the singers, “It was hard because we were learning the music at the same time as we were learning the language,” said junior Katrin Surkin, a soprano in Family Singers.

The third song was a combination of all the groups, playing “Pavane” by Gabriel Faure. This piece remained soft throughout but brought the audience into a trance with its constant quiet rhythm. In its beautiful simplicity, this piece was a true treat to watch.

This year the students had a unique opportunity to meld each of their individual groups into one big ensemble. “I really enjoyed the collaboration with the chorus ensemble. It was really cool to see it all together,”said freshman Amelia Kane, a viola player in Orchestra. 

The large finale group song was “The Last Word of David ” by Randall Thompson. This song starts with a loud bang from the drums to get the audience’s attention and then begins to build as more instruments join in. According to freshman Nejma Reza, an alto in the Vocal Ensemble, this song was one of the favorites to sing, and it kept the audience engaged, leaving them anxious to see what happens next.

This Winter Concert offers a unique opportunity to the students performing, according to senior Sara Manning, a trumpet player in Wind Ensemble. “I love performing because it is a learning experience and I learn something every time that I go onstage,” she said.

Overall, Winterfest this year was an incredible demonstration of all the talent here at North and the representation of their hard work paying off.