The Holy Cross High School Music Department put the school community into the spirit of the season with A Baby is Born: A Traditional Christmas Concert. Under the direction of Gabrielle Brazauskas and Leo Lavallee ’77, the musical selections were diverse, and the student performers were polished, enthusiastic and poised.
“We try to keep the music interesting,” said Ms. Brazauskas. “We mixed the secular, traditional Christmas music with some pop hits. We want to challenge and educate the students as well as keep them in the Christmas spirit.”
“Preparing for a concert is more than learning the notes,” said Mr. Lavalle. “It is about learning the correct fingerings, the nuances to music making, working together as a team and flexibility. It is also about learning that it is okay to make mistakes, learn from them and move forward. All of this hard work culminates in a beautiful experience for everybody.”
The first piece that Ms. Brazauskas rehearsed with the choir was Festival Sanctus, a modern piece written in Latin. “Our students are very strong and not afraid to take risks,” she said. “I don’t dumb down anything for a high school group. I give them college-level material. They always rise to the challenge.”
She gives a lot of credit to the a capella group, Crosstones, who performed The Twelve Days of Christmas/Africa (as made famous by Straight, No Chaser). “Half the time, each performer is holding down his or her own part. Their group dynamics are great because they bonded as a group and as individuals.”
The concert also showcased many student soloists including: Meghan Diorio ’19, Caleb Bosseler ’20, Jacob Gannon (all vocalists) in You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch, John Vito ’18 (trumpet) in All of Me, Sabrina Santopietro ’20 (vocals), Jonathan Barney ’17 (piano), John Vito ’18 (trumpet) in Blue Skies, Nate Donofrio ’19 (tenor sax) in Take the “A’ Train and Hayley Cuttitta ’17 (vocals) in All I Want for Christmas is You.
“The students worked really hard in the past two and a half months to prepare for this concert,” said Mr. Lavallee. “I am most proud of how they came together and worked as a group. It wasn’t about them as individuals. It was about them, as a group, and their audience. They really conveyed that.”