Student musicians performed in the annual Winter Concert on Dec. 3 and Dec. 4. The program consisted of performances by the Upper and Middle School choirs and orchestras, Archer’s a cappella group and the new wind ensemble.

Each group rehearsed for this concert from the beginning of the school year.

Orchestra Director Susan Smith and Choir Director Kate Burns said they modified the order of the program in order to include as much music as possible without extending the length of the concert.

Smith and Burns also selected more difficult music than they had in the past.

“I have found that including different styles in this manner makes for a nicely balanced winter concert,” Smith wrote in an email interview.

At the end of every concert, all of the musicians perform one last song as a group. The Upper School Orchestra play their instruments, and the rest of the students sing along. The finale for this performance was “A Sky Full of Stars” by Coldplay.

“This song is current, well-known, upbeat and has great lyrics,” Burns wrote in an email interview. “The musical lines sounded great with strings, piano, and percussion and including eighty singers allowed for singing in three-part harmony.”

Starting January, the orchestra and choir will prepare for the Spring Concert.