The Westview Choir turned on their LED candles, as about 50 Mesa Verde Middle School (MVMS) choir students joined the other vocalists on risers, also holding lit plastic candles, Dec. 1. They sang “One Candle,” a song about the importance of peace and togetherness.
The stage was decorated with two light-up reindeer with cotton-snow at their feet. This decor was accompanied by the high-school performers’ festive flower crowns and the middle-schoolers’ winter hats and scarves. The costumes and decorations match this year’s name for the concert, “The Snow Must Go On.”
According to the Vice President of Choir, Gavin Jin (12), while the winter concert was less formal, the decorations and engaging theme made the concert fun.
Performing “One Candle” is a Winter Choir Concert tradition that the choir has been singing since their first Winter Concert.
According to Jin, the themes of togetherness and peace promoted by the song are why they perform it every year.
“One Candle” wasn’t the only tradition at this holiday concert. Choir was joined onstage for four out of the 15 songs by students from Mesa Verde’s performing arts program. MVMS also performed three songs on their own.
Westview Choir has long collaborated with MVMS performing arts for the winter concert, but has increased their collaboration recently, even in other shows, due to a declining number of members during the pandemic.
“When we were online, we didn’t really do choir because they didn’t have any concerts,” Jin said. “And they didn’t really advertise or promote it, so there weren’t a lot of people [in the choir].”
Despite the gaps between people on the risers and fewer voices, Jin said he believes that the choir was able to pull off a great concert.
“I saw the list of people [at the beginning of the year] and felt there’s not that many people, so maybe it’s not going to be that good this year,” Jin said. “But this show actually went very well. Even [choir teacher Daniel] Moyer, our director, said it was actually better than he expected.”
Their performance included common Christmas carols “Mele Kalikimaka,” “Carol of the Bells,” and “Silver Bells” as well as the lesser known “Gaudete!” and “African Noel.”
Choir President Zoey Choi (11) remembers being a part of the Winter Concert when she was in middle school at Mesa Verde.
“We did Mele Kalikimaka when I was in eighth grade [and] we performed with the Westview Choir,” Choi said. “We sang with the Chamber Choir.”
Now a member of the Chamber Choir, Choi got to act as a role model for the current middle-schoolers.
“There was this senior when I was in eighth grade and I always looked up to her,” Choi said. “Now, I always try to think, what would she do, and try to be that for the kids because I want to make sure that other kids have the same experience I had with choir.”
Embracing the themes of togetherness in the ending song “One Candle,” the two choirs joined together to create a beautiful piece.
The lights dimmed and their voices faded, until only the candles were visible on stage. When the song ended, they blew out the candles and welcomed the audience into the holiday season.