Concert Choir Juggles the Pressure of Multiple Holiday Concerts
Along with Sounds of the Season, Concert Choir took on the Christmas BCO concert
The stress of the Holiday Season was enhanced for Concert Choir singers early this winter. Beyond preparing for their highest-intensity show of the school year, Sounds of the Season, they also had to prepare four other pieces, including one made up of three movements. The annual Buffalo Community Orchestra concert took place on December 8 in the PAC. The concert featured the talented musicians of the Buffalo Community Orchestra, Buffalo Bell Ringers, BHS Concert Choir, and the Wright County Chamber Chorus.
This year, a silent auction was added to the concert to raise funds for the orchestra and support local businesses. The auction’s proceeds will help ensure the continued success of the BCO and the community’s ability to maintain this annual event.
The opportunity to perform with such a distinguished group also brought its own set of challenges. The pressure of performing well was heightened by the added expectation of balancing multiple musical commitments. Some choir members were disappointed by the amount of music they had to learn and the sacrifices the choir had to make in preparation.
“We had to prepare for the BCO concert and Sounds of the Season at the same time and that was really hard,” Concert Choir member Eden Johnson ‘25 said. “We had to drop one song that was hard for Sounds of the Season because we focused on the BCO music. If we hadn’t spent so much time on BCO, we might have been able to perform it.”
A last second slip-up also added to the tensions, but many believed that the pressure resulted in a positive outcome for the singers.
“The week before the concert our director realized that we had been learning the wrong arrangement of the song,” Hope Bjornson ‘25 said. “[but] there were not too many differences and I think the concert choir works better under pressure so it was all resolved.”
BCO consists of a variety of musicians from the community. The only high school orchestra members are Lucy Anderson ‘25 and Mitchell Friesz ‘25. Anderson notes the difference that comes when playing with a high-stakes ensemble.
“There’s a lot of accountability that comes with playing in a more experienced group. You’re just expected to be able to catch on,” Anderson ‘25 said. “There is a wonderful amount of musical variability in the orchestra. Some are music professionals while others played growing up and just wanted to keep it as a part of their lives. Every member of the orchestra is valued, no matter how talented they are.”
A result of each member’s hard work and dedication, the BCO concert ended up being a success both in showing the talent of the groups and in raising money and support for the community.
