North High School student musicians will present their Winter Concert on Tuesday, Dec. 20, at 7:15 p.m., with holiday music performed in the lobby by the Chamber Music Society and Jazz Ensemble, followed by the full concert at 7:30 p.m. in the school’s auditorium at 35 Polo Rd.
The public is welcomed to attend the free concert, which will be dedicated to the memory of high school Band Director Lawrence Sobol, the most important clarinet teacher and mentor to North High instrumental teacher Joseph Rutkowski until his death in November. As an educator, Sobol was a consummate role model in motivating his students to practice hard and create beauty in performance.
The chorus will open with “All Ye Who Music Love” and then sing “America the Beautiful,” “Shalom Chaverim,” “The Sleigh a la Russe,” “Lean on Me/We Shall Overcome” and “Empire State of Mind.”
In keeping with North’s instrumental fall theme of Music from Prague, the band and orchestra will perform pieces by composers who worked in and around Prague. The Symphonic Band will perform Janacek’s “Sinfonia” and Husa’s “Music for Prague 1968.” The Symphony Orchestra will perform Smetana’s “Moldau” and the final movement of Dvorák’s “New World Symphony.”
For the grand finale, the entire chorus and Symphony Orchestra will perform Leroy Anderson’s “Sleigh Ride.”
The concert will be recorded live and emailed as an MP3 to the “Music for Prague 1968” composer. Dr. Karel Husa, 95, lives in North Carolina and still composes. In the past when North High students have performed his music, recordings were sent to Husa, who immediately listened and offered his comments via email to Rutkowski in time for delivery to the students at the following morning’s class.
The concert will be under the direction of Rutkowski and Choral Director Dr. Janine Robinson. Neil Saggerson is chairman of the Fine & Performing Arts Department.
For more information, contact Rutkowski at 516-441-4751 or
jrutkowski@greatneck.k12.ny.us.
