Trevor Winter Chorus and Band Concert 2025

The Winter Chorus Concert is a beloved Trevor tradition that takes place every December before winter break. Led by the chorus teacher, Ms. Taylor, the concert is a celebration of the hard work of chorus students from sixth to twelfth grade.

In Middle School there is a regular/standard chorus, and in Upper School it narrows down to more specific branches of chorus. There is Treble Chorus (soprano/alto), A Capella (advanced ensemble), and the Troubadours, an all-male chorus (tenor/base). Some of this year's songs were chosen by the students whereas others were chosen by Ms. Taylor. The eighth grade chose “Winter Song” by Sarah Bareilles, the Treble Chorus chose “White Winter Hymnal” by Fleet Foxes, and the Troubadours unanimously chose to sing a song from Hamilton. The overall theme of the concert is reuniting with family and the feel of winter.

  Ms. Taylor, the chorus teacher said, “I try to choose music that celebrates the different holidays that are coming up that also celebrate family coming together and the feel of winter.” When asked about whether the concert focuses on the holidays Ms. Taylor said, “When I first started programming concerts I would always lean more towards just winter in general. But one of the favorite parts for students about winter is being able to celebrate those holidays. Over the years I've collected songs I really love from different holidays.” Overall, Ms. Taylor would call the concert a “mix of winter in general and celebrating those holidays that mean a lot to students.” By incorporating a diverse range of holiday songs, the concert “gives [students] an opportunity to share their favorite parts about holidays.”

Some holiday songs will feature in the concert. “Ujima,”a Kwanzaa song, “Deck the Halls,” a Christmas song, and “S’vivon,” a Hanukkah song. One of Ms. Taylor's personal favorites is a mashup of the Mr. Rodgers songs, “It's You I Like” and “Then Your Heart is Full of Love.” Ms. Taylor said, "I love it because the messages are about being yourself and how your special, how you bring your own uniqueness in the room to you walk into, and feelings of friendship and empathy for others.” She says how this song is a “really nice way to discuss those things at different levels with all my groups ranging from twelve-year-olds in middle school to seventeen and eighteen-year-olds in high school.” The song overall and the morals of it “have a different meaning on different ages.” Lastly, she loves this song because it “reflects on who Mr. Rodgers is in our culture.”

Another one of Ms. Taylor's favorite songs is, “We Sing as One” by B.E. Boykin, which is being performed by the Treble Chorus and A Capella. This song is by an author who graduated from a historically black college and the song is about sisterhood, strength, empowerment and what we can accomplish as women when our voices are unified and amplified. Ms. Taylor's favorite middle school song is “Yuki,” a Japanese snow song. This song is sung in two separate parts which is something new to beginners in chorus, “It was challenging at first for some groups to grasp singing at two parts in class. Once they overcame that challenge they realized how beautiful it sounds.” Lastly, one of her favorites is “Awaken Jerusalem” which is a gospel song and African American spiritual. All classes love it and it even is the concert opener. This year the Middle School and Upper School share the concert which is as large as a six grade age gap between some of the performers. Ms. Taylor says that in Middle School Chorus, “I try to strike a balance between challenging them while also meeting them where they are and having fun!”

“A lot of class is dedicated to learning music early on to make sure they feel confident walking on and off stage without my assistance.” In order to prepare them for the concert Ms. Taylor also allows them to write introductions to the songs and makes sure to play musical games in class so they feel more comfortable around each other. In Upper School, students are more familiar with the rehearsal process. “they come in understanding how to prepare for a concert so it's really me allowing them to be leaders in this and also me being able to rely on them a little bit more.” Since Ms. Taylor is the only chorus teacher for the entire Middle and Upper Schools there are bound to be challenges that come along with that. “Because there are so many students this year, 100 singers and one of me, I would say that making sure I communicate effectively that everyone stays focused and remembers what to do and how to do it is the biggest challenge.”

However, even with challenges the concert is always a beautiful display of how much everyone involved has grown and learned. Ms. Taylor says, “My favorite part about the concert is personally being up on stage with all of the students and also with the musicians who play with us and just being able to play together and respond to each other in the moment. There are certain times where I do things in terms of conducting the singers that are spontaneous and not planned out. It is always a really thrilling and rewarding feeling when they respond to those changes I made to them. This shows that they are not only confident performing the music but confident in having a musical conversation with me onstage.” Another one of her favorite parts is “seeing the families congratulate and hug their students after” because it’s “just a really nice way to end each semester.” The staple songs that the winter concerts always end with are “Ocho Kandelikas” and “Let It Snow”. After the concert, each group celebrates by watching a movie and eating treats to congratulate each other and celebrate their hard work.