Relaxing by the fire after opening Christmas presents with his family, MVHS Music Director John Gilchrist revels in the joy of listening to holiday music. From classics like “Hark the Herald Angels Sing,” Christmas music transports him back to past winter musical concerts – from conducting holiday music at a concert for the first time, to performing at a majestic cathedral, even to playing at a retirement home.
“I was doing this gig with a band at a retirement home that used to hire me to play,” Gilchrist said. “It was a bunch of old folks. They’d attempt to play some of this music and also hire some musicians to help bolster the band. I remember actually just really finding it touching. The whole program was really quite beautiful, and even though I was like, ‘Oh, that trumpet player cannot play that high,’ it was really kind of a charming experience.”
For sophomore and orchestra student Tara Brumand, playing Christmas music on her violin mentally sets her in the mindset of enjoying Christmas. She often enjoys blasting holiday music when baking to feel more festive, and associates classic songs like “Last Christmas” with family moments.
“On Christmas day, my mom will bust out the speaker, and she’ll put it in the living room and she’ll put her favorite 80s holiday music on. We all have to sing along, otherwise she gets mad,” Brumand said. “But it’s really fun, and me and my sister enjoy humoring her. That’s one of my favorite parts of celebrating Christmas. I get to be so deeply connected to my family, more than other times during the year when we’re not able to see each other as much.”
Senior and tuba player Nathan Bao recalls going to a Christmas concert presented by the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra and enjoying their holiday music selections, ranging from both Christmas and Hanukkah pieces. Bao also delights in having spontaneous earworm holiday songs popping up in his head while he is going about his daily life.
“I definitely feel like listening to holiday music in some scenarios, especially when you’re trying to relax. Even if it’s not winter, it can be a really great way for that type of music to be used,” Bao said. “For me, Christmas music represents a time when school is finally over. I can take a break, have fun with my friends, perhaps go skiing in Reno and just have a lot of fun away from school. Obviously, it’s just always this nice atmosphere of being relaxed, being calm and just letting all your stress go.”
Similarly, Christmas music for Brumand reminds her of the past holidays she’s spent celebrating with friends and family. Although she admits the music can feel repetitive, she believes that the short amount of time that it’s ‘allowed’ to be played keeps it enjoyable each year.
“Personally, I don’t like the cold winter month, and listening to Christmas music keeps me going through that time of year,” Brumand said. “I kind of want to keep spreading that, and maybe in my family in the future too.”
As the MVHS Music Director, Gilchrist tries to diversify the music selection each ensemble plays during their annual winter concerts. For the upcoming Winter Concert, the orchestra and band will be playing traditional classical music by Tchaikovsky, as well as “Christmas tunes” by Corelli and “Rhapsody for Hanukkah” by Bulla, the latter being a song that Gilchrist performed himself as a highschooler.
“I like to have each ensemble play one thing that is a holiday tune or something evoking winter, but I don’t want to make that the entire thing, so I try to balance it out with something in a very contrasting style,” Gilchrist said. “I don’t like to play all the same kind of music, so if we’re doing a slow holiday tune, I like to balance that with something a little bit more lively and energetic.”
Bao agrees that holiday music is a bit more lively, and feels that it’s more accessible to people who might not enjoy traditional band music. He specifically enjoys “Rhapsody for Hanukkah,” as he likes the intricate rhythms not commonly found in holiday music.
“So with a tuba, holiday music is all about setting the root of that chord and providing a very good foundation,” Bao said. “Because these types of music are usually slower, they’re more beautiful. These pieces have really challenged me to really develop my intonation skills and make sure that the notes that I’m playing provide a good foundation for the rest of the band to build upon, so we can have a beautiful sound together.”
Gilchrist also finds joy in the unconventional arrangements of classical holiday tunes, and coming across interesting re-harmonizations of melodies. He believes the different interpretations of music keep it from becoming truly repetitive.
“Even though it sometimes can get to be a bit excessive, I think it’s really great to keep holiday traditions alive,” Gilchrist said. “I think that music can be a real sense of comfort to a lot of people, so we should keep that alive. Try not to be too cynical about holiday music, because I think it is a really beautiful thing.”
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