Applause resounded from the Lasker Auditorium, Jan. 21 and Jan. 23 as performers took the audience on a musical exploration of emotions through pieces that ranged from suspenseful to fantastical. 

Winterfest, North’s annual music show, spotlighted a variety of musicians from North, Bigelow, and F. A. Day. Winterfest I, which took place Jan. 21, featured Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble performances directed by fine and performing arts teacher Richard Labedz, while Winterfest II, Jan. 23, showcased the Choral Ensemble and orchestra, directed by fine and performing arts teacher Adam Grossman. 

“What we do in the classroom is geared toward these performances,” said Grossman. “Lots of teaching goes on along the way and we work on things, but it all has one goal, which is to play these pieces and sing these pieces the best we can.”  

Day and Bigelow’s bands opened Winterfest I, playing fantastical and dramatic pieces. Notably, the song “High Voltage,” performed by Day’s seventh and eighth-grade band, uniquely combined percussion and sound effects to create the sense of impending danger associated with thunderstorms. 

According to Bigelow band and orchestra director Ed Harlow, joint concerts with the middle schools are the result of a multi-year effort to preserve music throughout high school and beyond. “We want to be sure that music remains something they carry on into their adult lives,” said Harlow. 

North’s band closed Winterfest I with a performance of “Among the Clouds,” an ethereal and uplifting piece that transported listeners up to the clouds. 

Sophomore Jack Martin, a member of the Wind Ensemble, was proud of simply getting through the performance. “I know that we do it a lot, but every time you go up on that stage, it’s so nerve-wracking,” he said. “But you get through it, you play, and it’s a great feeling.”

Winterfest II opened with dramatic pieces played by the middle school orchestras, including a haunting yet uplifting waltz performed by Day’s seventh and eighth-grade orchestra. It ended with an impressive six-movement piece, “Durante Magnificat,” by North’s orchestra and Choral Ensemble.  

Grossman said he was particularly proud of the students’ performance of “Durante Magnificat.”

“‘Durante Magnificat’ is a long and difficult piece with solos and difficult choral singing. We had a lot of notes to learn,” said Grossman. “I think those students stepped up.”

The movements in “Durante Magnificat” varied widely in mood, ranging from intense to pleasant and peaceful. The orchestra set the tone in the background while solo singers stepped forward, dramatically concluding Winterfest II. 

According to sophomore Alizeh Tahir, a member of North’s orchestra, mandatory WIN blocks were also a part of the preparation for Winterfest. 

“We spent a lot of time preparing for this to make it the best that we could,” said Tahir. “And I think it turned out amazingly.”