On Wednesday Dec. 12, the Parkway North Choir Program had its annual winter concert. The choir choose songs that are more traditional and a few new selections that put a new spin into it.

“I was thrilled with the way the kids performed…I was also particularly happy with the way they carried themselves backstage and then the helping out, before and after, with tearing down equipment. It was really really a successful performance,” said choir director Brian Reeves.

This concert also served as the last winter concert for its senior members.

“It was very bitter sweet. Me and one of my other classmates, Meher, started crying because it kind of hit us that like this it it,” said senior Alyssa Chapman.

For others though, this was their first winter concert of many, “Actually… doing the concert felt like a reward, and I thought we did really good,” said freshman Reiley Heffern

Certain songs in the concert have become tradition to sing every year, even if they aren’t necessarily traditional songs most people know.

“Every two years, the concert choir does this hideous piece Fruitcake!… and every winter choir concert since the school was founded in 1971 has concluded with the Hallelujah chorus,” said Reeves.

The performance of Hallelujah is truly a special tradition because it is performed by the combined choirs, the symphonic orchestra, and members of the audience.

Other songs including a Bulgarian song, Kaval Sviri, which was filled with a nasally tone that may have been a new experience for members of the audience not used to Bulgarian songs, were new to the program this year.

“We sang this really nice Bulgarian piece, which was kind of a shocker and was very different from what we were used to singing. Then we had a song our student teacher Mr. Datz wrote for our class specifically,” said Chapman.

The song Moonflower written by student teacher Carter Datz also included a solo from senior Sarah Mitulski.

This year’s winter choir concert was an experience full of traditions and new cultural experiences which made this performance a memorable one.