From Acapella’s cover of classic holiday breakup ballad “Last Christmas” to Advanced String Ensemble’s impressive rendition of Mendelsohn’s “The Hebrides (Overture),” the collaboration and dedication of Poly’s student artists came to life this year at the Winter Concert, which took place on December 15, with several performances and groups being led by students themselves.
So how did students go about preparing for this year’s Winter Concert? Adelaide Swartz ’27, a member of Concert Choir, explained, “Preparing for the concert was exciting. It was over the course of a few months so [Concert Choir] spent almost the whole first semester on [our songs].”
Izzy Leyton ’25, a member of Advanced Concert Choir, added that “Mr. Iannelli [had the choir] listen to all of the songs before we [started] working on them because he [wanted] to make sure that we [liked] them.” Ally DiPietra ’27, a violinist in the Upper School’s string ensemble, shared a similar experience. DiPietra said, “[String ensemble] would learn a piece and, depending on how much we enjoyed playing it, we would decide if we wanted to play it at the concert.” The sharing of students’ positive feedback and good ideas are clearly crucial to the process of creating strong performances for the concert. Students play a major role in the behind-the-scenes creative brainstorming of these acts. Poly strings teacher, Carrie Dowell, also explained in an email to the Polygon that “it’s an added thrill when the students enjoy the music selections and have a great time working together in the ensemble!”
Ensuring that all students are given the opportunity to showcase their talent and participate is also a vital part in ensuring the success of different performances. Izzy Leyton ’25, a singer in Poly’s Advanced Concert Choir and the DEIB Reporter for the Polygon, said she was “happiest about how we all blended perfectly. No group was overpowering another.” Every student must also do their part to ensure the performance’s success. Dowell shared, “A large part of being a musician is being self-motivated.”
Events like the Winter Concert really showcase how large of a part the arts are at Poly. The coming together and tireless work of the students also demonstrate how being an artist and having an appreciation for the arts is a large component of the universal Poly student experience. DiPietra explained, “The Poly Prep Arts Department is like a community. The people in our group are so kind and very talented. Walking into class every day gives me joy and excitement…I love being in the Poly arts community as it has helped me make many lifelong friendships.”
