By Amanda Malnik

On Sunday, Dec. 15 at 3 p.m., Oak Hall students from sixth to 12th grade are performing holiday songs at a family-friendly winter concert in the Oak Hall theater for the local community to enjoy.

Numerous songs, chosen by Middle and Upper School music teachers Jason Stahl and Dr. Domonique Clance, will be performed by all students enrolled in band class in the Middle and Upper Schools. Since the beginning of October, students have been rehearsing in band class, as well as after school and on the weekends, to learn the many styles displayed in these songs. Middle School students are performing a variety of songs by artists such as Michael Bublé, The Vamps, and The Red Hot Chili Peppers. 

“Our Upper School musicians have also put together a handful of small ensemble pieces to be presented between the larger numbers,” Stahl noted. “These include works by the Pentatonix, a piano duet featuring Anya AitSahlia & Amelia German, and a septet playing a mash-up of music from ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’” he continued. A small choir is singing “Carol of the Bells” and a large choir, featuring 45 voices, is singing a traditional Hebrew piece called “Bashana Haba’ah”, accompanied by a quartet of piano and strings. 

“Finally, our Upper School classes will combine forces into a 50-piece orchestra to present a musical retelling of ‘Dr. Seuss: The Grinch’,” Stahl said. “This large-scale piece will be narrated by Akhila Nataraj & Rinnah Mesadieu under the backdrop of a lush musical score largely based off of the original 1966 Holiday Special with hints of modern ‘Grinch themes’,” he elaborated.

Sophomore band member, Asher Dobrin, is one of the many students that is performing on Saturday. He is looking forward to performing the orchestra piece from “Dr. Seuss: The Grinch” on his upright bass. “[In the concert] there are lots of different components, from jazz and rock to classical,” Dobrin explained. “Everyone’s instrument gets a showing; you can hear everybody.”