Conservatory wishes the community happy holidays

Annual holiday show produces festive and unprecedented performances

by Emily Tan, Features Editor

On Friday Dec. 11, the upper school community watched Harker’s middle school and upper school performing arts groups during the assembly period. Orchestra members faded in and out of the screen, the small rectangles of flutists morphing into an aggregation of violinists as each of their bows undulated to the rhythm. The dancers of the upper school dance team Kinetic Krew hit every beat of “White Flag,” all moving in sync with the dancers around them. Downbeat sang and danced in various socially-distanced formations in their classic costumes and more. Together, the Harker performing arts community delivered holiday cheer in one festive performance: the annual Holiday Show. 

This year’s Holiday Show, also known as “Big Assembly Day” (BAD), virtually featured one breakthrough after another in a pre-recorded video. By overcoming the technical challenges and barriers that came with asynchronously recording and compiling a performance, performers and instructors filled computer screens with a cheery holiday energy that uplifted the Harker community’s spirit.

“Performing virtually was a very new experience,” said Emily Zhou (11), a flutist in the upper school orchestra. “Nevertheless, I had so much fun throughout the process and was very happy with the final orchestra recording.”

The order of the show:

1. Grade 7-8 Jazz Band played “Winter Wonderland” by Felix Bernard and arranged by Paul Crook

2. Cantilena sang “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane and arranged by upper school vocal music teacher Susan Nace

3. The grade 7-8 orchestra played “The Christmas Song” by Robert Wells and Mel Tormé and arranged by Michael Sweeney

4. Kinetic Krew danced to “White Flag” by Bishop Briggs

5. Grade 6 String Orchestra played “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” by Pyotr Tchaikovsky and arranged by Robert Longfield

6. Grade 6 Band played “The Little Drummer Boy” by Katherine Davis and arranged by John O’Reilly

7. Downbeat sang “Deck the Nutcracker Hall” by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky and arranged by Greg Gilpin

8. The upper school Jazz Band and Lab Band played “Happy” by Pharrell Williams and arranged by Mike Tomaro

9. The upper school orchestra played “Sleigh Ride” by Leroy Anderson