Jingle Bells All the Way

Bangkok Patana certainly knows how to celebrate the festive season in December! Yesterday evening’s Christmas Concert in the Theatre and the Primary Hall was a fabulous showcase of music at school, and also of the very vibrant and appreciative community we have! A special shout out to the PTG for organising Christmassy food and drinks for the audience and performers! Two of our Secondary students reflected on the event: 

Christmas celebration is all about bringing joy and happiness. Since it is the happiest time of year, we hosted the most cheerful and festive event of the year-The annual Christmas Celebration Concert. Students from both Primary and Secondary schools gathered together performing and sharing their Christmas spirit.

The concert included diverse musical instruments and repertoire: from Baroque concertos to conventional carols. The Secondary orchestra played Corelli’s Christmas Concerto for the first time, On Christmas Night, and Down the Mousehole. In between these pieces, there were many styles of music being played. For example, a concerto that consisted of 2 soloists plus an orchestra, a relaxing slow piece as a contrast and a plucking-only piece. Beyond the singing and the playing, this concert was an immersive experience to attend. The event was audience-friendly, which meant that the auditorium was filled with lighthearted carolling.  

A lot of time and dedication were invested to make this concert happen. From an orchestral point of view, the preparation for this concert was an experimental pathway. For all of the pieces except Corelli, we studied and practised the music a few months beforehand. Bringing back from last academic year’s repertoire, Christmas Concerto was our first concerto-styled performance. Even though it was a pioneer exposure, the techniques of this piece expanded our technical skills.

At last after the concert curtain calls, the audience claps, cheer, and smiles told us how successful our showcase was. It is just like holiday bells that ring to welcome the festive celebrations!”

Svari (Teya) Tejacharoenanan, Year 9

“Performing at this year’s Christmas concert was very special, as it will be my last ever Christmas concert with the Secondary Jazz Ensemble. During the performance, I mainly focused on having as much fun as possible and enjoying myself in the moment, as I was aware that this would be my very last time. The time that I have spent playing in the jazz ensemble is definitely unforgettable, and I have high hopes that I will continue my musical journey in college.”

Tawin (Finn) Habanananda, Year 13