The saying goes that there is snow place like home, and there was no better proof of that than the Placentia Yorba Linda Unified School District annual Winter Festival! In combination with the schools across the district—Esperanza, Valencia, and El Dorado—Yorba Linda High School’s Concert Choir, Vocal Ensemble, and Sinfonia gathered last Tuesday on December 3rd, at 7:00 P.M. at the Vineyard Church of Anaheim to perform a wide variety of holiday and winter tunes. Our choral program, this year led by Steven McCann in his second year at Yorba Linda, rose to the occasion and excelled at the concert. Every performance from each of the four schools was a brilliant portrayal of the talent filled to the brim in the classrooms and the hardworking choir teachers across the school district. 

A few of the countless memorable musical moments, from the Yorba Linda High School Vocal ensemble, came with an amazing production of Theodor “Dr. Seuss” Geisel’s “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” which left the audience laughing and singing along.

However, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” wasn’t the only Christmas TV special the Yorba Linda High School Choir performed. The YLHS Men’s Choral section also received thunderous applause for their recital of Randy Brooks’ “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” with each choral singer receiving a unique solo section throughout the song.

Even though Yorba Linda High School collected a colossal count of commendation and cheers for choral caroling, the other schools within the Winter Festival were also a source of serenade. An audience favorite was Valencia High School and Esperanza’s Acapella performances of modern twists on well known holiday classics including a beatboxing solo!

The night closed with a consolidated choir performance of the Hallelujah Chorus from George Frideric Handel’s “The Messiah,” which combined over 100 students from Yorba Linda, Esperanza, Valencia, and El Dorado. The students joined each other on stage to harmonize with one another and close the show with a beautiful rendition of the nearly three century old song, reminding the concertgoers of the true purpose of the holiday season: unity.

Sarah Chen (12), a member of the Vocal Ensemble, spoke on the importance of music, and what the performance meant to her: “Music, is a way of connecting with each other, we all come from different backgrounds and experiences, but music is the universal constant, no matter who you are or where you’re from, music has the power to move you.” 

All in all, it’s clear to say that this annual tradition is definitely a win-(ter).