Rocky Point High School held its annual Winter Concert on Dec. 19.

Congratulations to Ms. Jessica Spitz and the High School Treble Choir and High School Concert Choir; Mr. Vincent Ragona and the 9th-10th Grade Band; Mr. Nicholas Butcher and the High School Orchestra; Ms. Amy Schecher and the 11th-12th Grade Band. The groups all performed very delightful and challenging selections that included holiday classics that the students enjoyed. The performances were received fabulously by the parents and community members.
 
The concert opened with Ms. Spitz’ premiering a new ensemble, the Rocky Point High School Treble Choir, who performed a wonderful array of songs. Violinist Maya MacCarthy joined this newly formed choir and accompanied them on the American folk song, “The Water Is Wide.” The Treble Choir concluded their program with a jazzy take on Tchaikovsky’s “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy.” Mr. Ragona’s 9th-10th Grade Band continued the festive evening with a challenging program of four selections that included several holiday favorites and featured oboe soloist Ashley O’Brien, trumpet soloist Alexander Engbrecht and alto saxophone soloist Avery Messana on “Christmas Halls of Wonder,” trumpet soloist Cole Grable on “Bashana Haba ‘Ah,” and tuba soloist John Nadeau and temple blocks soloist Paige Bouton on “Sinterklaas’s Rooftop Ride.” Mr. Butcher’s High School Orchestra followed with an intense program of five selections that included two selections from symphonies by Ludwig Van Beethoven. Ms. Spitz’s High School Concert Choir performed a difficult program in a variety of languages, including an amazing a cappella arrangement of the famous holiday classic, “Carol of the Bells.” Ms. Schecher’s 11th-12th Grade Band performed a terrific selection of demanding numbers that started with the very challenging piece, “The Inferno,” which included solos by oboist Ava Jimenez, trumpeter Olivia Carley and percussionist Kristian Hald on timpani. Ms. Schecher’s 11th-12th Grade Band program concluded with the festive, “Winter Holiday.”
 
The High School Winter Concert culminated with the famous “Hallelujah Chorus (from “The Messiah)” by George Frederick Handel. This piece was performed by the combined 11th-12 Grade Band, the High School Orchestra and the High School Mixed Chorus, co-directed by Ms. Schecher and Ms. Spitz. During this piece, Rocky Point alumni and music faculty joined the students on stage to sing with the chorus, continuing a long-standing community tradition. This was a very special way to conclude what has been an amazing concert season.
 
A congratulatory message from Rocky Point Music Department chairpersons Mr. Craig Knapp and Ms. Schecher read: “The continued development of our student musicians since their concerts last Spring is wonderful. The music students have worked very hard this year, and we are lucky to have such dedicated and talented students here in Rocky Point. We are very proud of these amazing students and the incredibly hard working and devoted music faculty at the Rocky Point High School. We are extremely thankful for the encouragement of the parents and community, and we are very grateful to all the Rocky Point administrators and Board of Education members who have been so supportive of our music programs. We hope the students and their families are as proud of the performances as the music faculty members are, and we hope our Rocky Point concert series helped set the tone in the community for a festive holiday season.”