On Monday Dec. 15, the Chamber Orchestra made CHS history when it put on its first-ever combined performance with the choir.

For many of the choir singers, this was their first time performing with a large orchestra. As if it was not already hard enough for the strings and singers to stay perfectly synchronized with each other throughout the entire performance, the choir had to sing one of the combined pieces in Latin.

“The Latin piece was definitely difficult, especially trying to remember the words,” senior and Chamber Singers member Hannah Allen said. “It was surprisingly easier than I thought it would be because it’s a lot of repetition.”

The Chamber Orchestra wanted to surprise the audience with the choir as a special guest and although the performance was challenging for both musical groups, they pulled it off seamlessly and kicked off the year with a great start.

“We haven’t sang with the orchestra before but I think it was a really good experience,” Hannah Allen said. “It was definitely a great combination on both ends and the orchestra really enhanced our performance and I’d like to think we enhanced theirs.”

Even though this was a larger group than many of the musicians at the Winter Concert had performed with before, it was a special experience for everyone involved.

“I think the moment when the lights hit your face and the audience is just as aware of you as you are them, and all you can hear is the fumbling of auxiliary cords in the background, that’s when it’s my favorite,” Allen said.

This year’s Winter Concert music selection featured a more mature and sentimental perspective of the holidays, instead of the common “Holly Jolly Christmas.”

“My teacher introduced us to music we had never played or even heard of before and I really liked her selections,” principal cellist Caroline Allen said. “I think they had a good balance between more upbeat pieces and emotional pieces.”

The Winter Concert’s jam-packed audience proved that the orchestra program’s dedication to making their first performance of the year exceptional had paid off. The night was full of music that inspired people to think about the true meaning of the holidays while enjoying the savory sounds of the season.

“We’ve been preparing for this concert since the beginning of the year,” Caroline Allen said. “We really started this year off with a great performance, and I’m confident that our orchestra is only going to improve as the year goes on.”