Concordia hosted its Middle and High School Christmas Concert and Art Exhibition 2024 at the Dong Anh Community Center’s professional concert hall.

The concert featured 19th-century pieces, traditional carols, and songs with Americana roots. “Last year, the High School Choir and Orchestra worked on Baroque music with the orchestra, including both Handel and Bach. So this year, we performed a 19th-century Romantic piece comprising two choruses from Camille Saint-Saëns' Christmas Oratorio,” explained Concordia’s Middle and High School Music Teacher, Mr. Wendt.

The concert also included a cappella Christmas hymns like “Good King Wenceslas” and “Angels We Have Heard on High.”

“I picked a combination of pieces that are slow and have gravitas, like ‘O Holy Night,’ and pieces that are more light and cheery, like ‘Deck the Halls.’ I always like to include a jazz-flavored piece, so I found an arrangement of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas that has a very noir detective, jazzy kind of feel, along with an African American spiritual-style piece, ‘Go Tell It on the Mountain.’ There’s a wide variety of musical styles and textures,” Mr. Wendt added.

The High School Ensemble performed the “Grand March” from Verdi’s Aida, as well as orchestral versions of the swinging Christmas classics “Jingle Bell Rock” and “Sleigh Ride,” arranged for the ensemble by our conductor, Mr. Cuong.

Night one also opened with a violin solo by Alice (G9) accompanied by Mr. Wendt on piano, while night two opened with a vocal solo rendition of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” performed by NaHyeon (G11) and accompanied by Clara (G12) on piano.

Student singers and musicians gained a deeper perspective into music through performing the pieces in this program.

“My favorite pieces from the concert are ‘The Quare Chorus’ and ‘The Gloria Chorus’ from Saint-Saëns' Oratorio, because they are a great metaphor for the coming of Jesus Christ. I think the song does a good job of juxtaposing the sharp key of ‘Quare’ with the mild, peaceful conclusion at the end,” said Michael (G10, soprano).

“I particularly enjoyed playing the Saint-Saëns choruses from the songs we performed this year because of the different characteristics of the music and how it completely changes the atmosphere of the pieces,” said Jeny (G10, violin).

“I like ‘O Holy Night’ because I enjoy its soothing melody and its profound message of hope,” said Daisy (G10, violin).

Concordia’s music program caters to students with a very wide range of skills—from those taking private lessons at home since early childhood to those who’ve never really participated in any organized music at all. The program is based around a positive attitude toward music-making, encouraging students to see it as a great way to contribute to a sense of community.

“Ensemble has been a really good experience for learning how to collaborate with other instruments. I personally enjoyed performing ‘Grand March’ and ‘Jingle Bell Rock.’ I think they're really interesting songs with distinct qualities and are just really nice to play,” said Yerin (G9, flute).

“The most important thing in any music program is developing the aural skills of the students, so they can instantly tell the difference between major and minor keys, recognize and execute syncopated and swing rhythms, and have an intelligent, mature analytical perspective toward different styles, such as European classical music, world music, and especially American genres based on African American blues,” explained Middle and High School Music Teacher Mr. Wendt.

“Last year was my first time ever singing in public in a group, and learning how to sing accurately. This year, I’ve enjoyed the progress I’ve made. I’m now the leader of my section, and I saw a lot of myself in the people who are new to the choir. Learning to listen—to myself and others—has been a journey, and it’s really satisfying to see how we’ve grown as a choir,” said Bao (G10, bass).

Middle School Choir and Ensemble Shine

Our Middle School Ensemble includes classical instruments like trombone, clarinets, violins, and a Vietnamese 16-string zither (dan tranh). Our Concordia music library has a great version of Astor Piazzolla's Libertango. Performing this piece exposes students to the unique rhythms and articulations of the tango.

The Middle School ensemble also performed one of Mr. Wendt’s own compositions, The Bun Cha Blues, which introduces middle schoolers to the simple form of 12-bar blues and the various ways it can be varied. The piece featured the zither.

“Although my instrument is quite different from others, I feel it’s good to bring in such a traditional instrument from my home country,” said Avy (G6, zither).

Our Middle School Choir sang Bruno Mars’ Count on Me, which has beautiful three-part harmonies and a nice message about friendship.

“It was great performing on such a big stage in a professional concert hall setting. It really helped me gain courage performing in front of people,” said Yeonwoo (G6, violin and choir).

The Middle School Choir also sang All Ye Who Music Love by Linda Spevacek-Avery, a modernized madrigal style piece that teaches students to sing without piano accompaniment while maintaining pitch throughout the song.

“The concert was interesting, fun, and rewarding to be part of the ensemble. We practiced two songs for the whole semester, and playing those in front of everyone was very rewarding. Listening to the high schoolers was also a great learning experience,” said Serim (G7, clarinet).

“Music brings happiness, so it was a really good opportunity and experience for me,” said Jooyul (G6, choir).

Student Artwork on Display Shows Individual Introspection

The event also featured an exhibition of visual artworks by a range of students, curated by Middle and High School Art Teacher Mr. Green for their prowess and depth.

“The works selected for the exhibition really go above and beyond the expectations of each class,” said Mr. Green, adding, “The students framed their work around their own story, and the technique they displayed was exemplary.”

The works ranged from middle school art, where students explored line drawings, still life, and pencil shading, to high school Advanced and AP art students diving into conceptual work, exploring different mediums, and finding their own voices. Each piece was different in both medium and subject matter, underscoring the personal journey of the student.

“I think the art program is great because the small class size allows me to work closely with the teacher. It’s the perfect environment for me to create and grow as an artist,” said Haily (G9, Self Portrait in Pencil).

“In our portrait unit, we focused on showing personality rather than just creating a passport photo. In my piece, I really tried to capture the energy that I bring into a space. I want to be a positive and fun person, and I try to express that through the stars in my drawing and their composition. To me, it’s kind of special and captures my personality well. The most important thing I learned during this unit is how to tell your story through any medium, whether it's portraiture or even pottery,” said Kay (G10, Self Portrait in Pencil).

Many of the Advanced Art and AP Art students have dealt with gender-related issues in their work. "My perception of beauty in the past was a construct shaped by the collective ideals of society,” said Gomyeongjin (G12, AP Art, watercolor and colored pencil).

As the first concert and art exhibition held at the Dong Anh Community Center, the event was a huge success. The acoustic and lighting qualities of the space made it an ideal showcase for student art and performance. “I'm grateful for the opportunity the school leadership and community have provided me to bring out the best in our students,” said Mr. Wendt.

“I appreciate the continued trust and support from the school leadership, parents, and the Concordia community,” said Mr. Green.

Learn more about Concordia’s music and art programs.