At 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 11, several musical groups of Haverford High School performed in their annual winter concert. The concert showcased many different talented groups of young musicians, including Concert Band, String Ensemble, Wind Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra, and two string quartets. 

The concert began with a stunning performance by the Concert Band, led by music teacher Jeffery Hart. In 2019, the band has welcomed many new freshmen with open arms. The band played Aria Cantabile by Frank Ericson and Antares by Richard Saucedo. 

Following the Concert Band was the performance of String Ensemble, which played Cazona by Giovanni Gabrielli and Psalm and Fugue by A. Hovhaness. Usually, String Ensemble is limited to only 10th, 11th, and 12th graders, but this year many freshmen auditioned and joined the group. The group benefited from this since many members had graduated last year. 

After their performance, four members of the String Ensemble stayed in the pit to perform Chacony in G Minor by H. Purcell in a string quartet. These members included Concertmaster Gina Ngo on the first violin, Tom Huangpu on the second violin, Jordan Barbee on the viola, and Katie Youn on the cello. Youn is one of the four freshmen to have joined String Ensemble in the 2019-2020 school year and showed a true passion for music through her performance. 

Wind Ensemble then performed, once again conducted by Hart. The group played Marche des Parachutistes Belges by Pierre Leemans and Symphonic Overture by Charles Carter. 

After Wind Ensemble’s performance, String Orchestra was welcomed by the crowd. Conducted by music teacher Joseph Brennan, the String Orchestra played City of Steel by Charles Carter. 

Members of the orchestra then walked down to the pit and played At the Purchaser’s Option With Variations by R.Giddens in a string quartet. These members included June Park on the first violin, Mikayla Lin on the second violin, Norah Philbin on the viola, and Julia Spoelker on the cello. This piece was commissioned for a project of the Kronos Performing Arts Association. 

Following this was the performance by the Symphony Orchestra, a combination of String Orchestra and some students from Concert Band. The group played a medley of songs from Pirates of the Caribbean by K. Badelt under Brennan, who conducted the group through the complicated, multi-toned piece.