Clear Creek High School
2025 Holiday Concert

Program

Concert Band

Snow Day! - Katie O’Hara LaBrie

Bright, buoyant, and full of winter cheer, Snow Day! captures the pure joy students feel when they wake to a world transformed by fresh snowfall. Katie O’Hara LaBrie paints this moment with sparkling rhythms, playful melodic exchanges, and a sense of energy that never sits still for long.

Listeners can almost hear snowballs flying, sleds racing downhill, and laughter echoing across a frosty morning. At its heart, the piece celebrates the magical pause a snow day brings—an unexpected chance to breathe, explore, and revel in the wonder of winter.

Christmas Train - Gene Milford

Christmas Train invites the audience aboard a festive musical journey filled with warmth and nostalgia. Gene Milford evokes the rhythmic momentum of a train rolling down the tracks, weaving in holiday-inspired melodies and colorful orchestration.

The music alternates between moments of excitement and gentle reflection, much like watching snowy landscapes glide past a cozy train window. With its driving pulse and seasonal charm, the piece creates a sense of adventure and togetherness—perfect for a holiday celebration.

Symphonic Band

Snowfall - Chris M. Bernotas

Snowfall paints a serene and shimmering winter landscape, evoking the gentle descent of snowflakes through calm, cold air. Light, floating melodies move gracefully across the ensemble, supported by warm harmonic textures that suggest both stillness and wonder. Delicate percussion colors hint at the sparkle of snow, while flowing lines in the winds and brass create a sense of peaceful motion.

As the piece unfolds, expressive peaks emerge like glimmers of light on a snowy morning before the music settles back into tranquil hush. Accessible yet atmospheric, Snowfall invites listeners to experience the quiet magic of winter while offering performers opportunities for sensitivity, blend, and expressive phrasing.

A Christmas Flourish - Randall D. Standridge

A Christmas Flourish bursts with festive energy, serving as a bright and spirited celebration of the holiday season. Lively fanfares and sparkling percussion establish an atmosphere of excitement from the outset. Standridge blends familiar Christmas carols with bold contemporary harmonies and rhythmic vitality, creating a work that feels both joyfully traditional and refreshingly new.

Dynamic contrasts, vibrant orchestration, and shifting textures keep listeners engaged while allowing the ensemble to showcase brilliance, precision, and unity. The piece concludes with a triumphant flourish, capturing the exuberance and warmth of holiday celebration. A Christmas Flourish is an ideal selection for adding high-impact excitement to any seasonal program.

Wind Ensemble

Festival Fanfare for Christmas - John Wasson

Festival Fanfare for Christmas opens the concert with a brilliant burst of holiday spirit. Drawing on the tradition of ceremonial fanfares, the work showcases the dazzling power of brass and percussion while weaving familiar Christmas melodies into bold, festive textures.

From the commanding opening gesture to its triumphant conclusion, the piece balances radiant energy with moments of warmth and lyricism. Familiar carol fragments emerge throughout, transformed into vibrant musical statements that capture the anticipation and joy of the season.

Celebratory and uplifting, Festival Fanfare for Christmas serves as both a musical welcome and a joyful invitation to the festivities ahead.

Ave Maria - Franz Biebl /arr. Robert Cameron

Franz Biebl’s Ave Maria is one of the most beloved sacred choral works of the 20th century. Originally written in 1964 for men’s chorus, the piece became known for its serene beauty, flowing lines, and luminous harmonies.

In this concert band arrangement, Biebl’s gentle invocation is reimagined through the warm sonorities of winds and brass. The setting preserves the work’s signature antiphonal structure, unfolding as a dialogue between two choirs before blossoming into a richly layered final statement.

Simple, chant-like melodies and expressive harmonic progressions create a sense of devotional stillness. Even without text, the instrumental version maintains its spiritual character, offering a moment of peace and reflection within the concert program.

Ave Maria remains a testament to the enduring power of quiet, carefully shaped musical expression.

Second Suite in F for Military Band - Gustav Holst

Holst’s Second Suite in F stands as one of the foundational works in concert band literature. Composed in 1911, the suite draws deeply from traditional English folk songs, which Holst expands with rhythmic vitality, colorful orchestration, and masterful craftsmanship.

I. March – “Morris dance, Swansea Town, Claudy Banks”
A lively opening combining three folk tunes, beginning with the characteristic steps of a Morris dance and building toward a spirited close.

II. Song Without Words – “I’ll Love My Love”
A lyrical, expressive setting of a sorrowful folk ballad. Holst’s gentle pacing and rich sonorities reveal the band’s capacity for warmth and nuance.

III. Song of the Blacksmith
Bright and percussive, this movement imitates the ringing strike of a blacksmith’s hammer. Irregular accents and sharp timbres make the scene vivid and energetic.

IV. Fantasia on the “Dargason”
A brilliant finale built on the lively “Dargason” melody, over which Holst layers Greensleeves in counterpoint. The spirited interplay makes this one of his most memorable creations.

Holst’s suite remains a cornerstone of the repertoire, celebrated for its authenticity and vibrant reimagining of English folk traditions.

A Christmas Festival - Leroy Anderson

Leroy Anderson’s A Christmas Festival has become a classic of the holiday season. Written in 1950 for the Boston Pops, the medley captures the warmth and joy of Christmas through a brilliantly crafted sequence of familiar carols.

Anderson seamlessly blends “Joy to the World,” “Deck the Halls,” “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen,” “Good King Wenceslas,” “Hark! the Herald Angels Sing,” “Silent Night,” and “Jingle Bells.” The piece moves gracefully from tender moments to exuberant climaxes, showcasing Anderson’s gift for melody, clarity, and festive orchestration.

Whether performed by orchestra or concert band, A Christmas Festival remains a joyful centerpiece of winter programs and a celebratory conclusion to any holiday concert.

Clear Creek High School 2025 Holiday Concert