The Online Edition of the Annandale High School Newspaper.

The A-Blast

The Online Edition of the Annandale High School Newspaper.

The A-Blast

The Online Edition of the Annandale High School Newspaper.

The A-Blast

Holiday chorus concert spreads seasonal cheer

The audience sat hushed, in a still silence, as the cacophony of voices from members of the Annandale Chorus melded together to create a beautiful melody in their grand finale: a rendition of the Halleluiah chorus.   Carleen Dixon, in her final year as director of the choral department, beamed at her students as their every note reverberated off the walls of the auditorium in pitch perfection.

“The performance was especially significant last night as it will be Mrs. Dixon’s last holiday concert at Annandale. I think that was in the back of everyone’s minds and affected our performance for the better. We all wanted to make her proud,” said senior Ben Wilson.


The atmosphere in the auditorium last night was, perhaps, the most unique element of the concert. Of course, there were the traditional holiday tunes, including a dance infused rendition of “Jingle Bells” sung by the Men’s Chorale adorned in Santa hats, along with some classic numbers such as “White Christmas.” But, There was something different in the air, more than just the excited holiday spirit.

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“Annandale Singers blew me away last night,” said freshman Katie Mock. As a first year member in concert choir, last night was Katie’s first time watching the more advanced choral group before. “I have never heard a group of people sound so good. I hope that Mrs. Dixon stays on for one more year, even though she says she’s leaving, so that I’ll get a chance to advance and be a part of that group.”


She wasn’t the only one who noticed their superb performance. Audience member Hanna Navarrete, who used to be a member of the Annandale Singers before graduating last spring, was very impressed.

 

“I think that everyone did a great job. The acoustics in the room were really good and there were very few, if any, mistakes,” said Navarette.


Navarrete was one of the many graduates of Annandale who attended the concert and was invited up on stage to sing the Halleluiah chorus with the rest of the company.


Junior Katie Panther, a member of Women’s Ensemble said, “Nerves are usually a factor when we perform, but didn’t really affect us last night. It was kind of weird, we were doing so well that I thought, ‘This is too good, something’s going to happen.’ But nothing did and I think we made Mrs. Dixon proud.”


The pressure to perform was heightened for some older members and seniors.


“Every year question of whether or not the next group can live up to the previous group’s standards. Last year, we lost a lot of talented singers and after last night’s performance, I definitely feel that we accomplished that goal and achieved those high standards,” said Wilson.

 

Those standards were achieved from the all of the group’s preparation, which began well over a month ago. The concert was a major commitment, which involved spending time rehearsing during Flexes and lunches as well as after school.

 

All of the hard work and preparation paid off, judging by the standing ovation the chorus members received at the end of their performance. Most importantly, Carleen Dixon was incredibly proud of all of the showmanship her students displayed on stage.

 

“I think Mrs. Dixon was really pleased, “ said Panther, “I’m not supposed to admit this, but and we could all see the tear in her eye at after the finale song. Everyone felt really proud and blessed to have her as our teacher this year.”

 

Chorus

 

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Holiday chorus concert spreads seasonal cheer