Music is the window to the soul – and it’s also how the Cary Town Band spreads holiday cheer in their annual Winterfest concert, featuring both popular and underrated holiday selections, during a one-and-a-half hour performance on Dec. 8 at the Cary Arts Center. With the holiday season in full swing, many families spent their Friday evening in Cary downtown, enjoying the performance, holiday decorations and warm treats that the streets offered.

For Teddy Chen, a 6th-grade band student at Carnage Middle School, attending the concert was especially engaging.

“I really like to play in my band at school,” he said. “But because I [could] see all the different instruments work together to play good music, it felt really cool to see the instruments come together.”

At the entrance, guests were treated to vibrant arrangements of lights decorating poles and pine trees across downtown Cary. The town decked street posts and gates in emerald garlands and scarlet ribbons. As the Winterfest concert represents an annual tradition for local residents, many families grab dinner at one of downtown Cary’s eateries and take a stroll through downtown to enjoy the lights before making their way to the theater for the symphonic performance. 

The concert was performed by the Cary Town Band, a wind ensemble that fosters a community of non-professional music players. The group performs free concerts year-round, in addition to giving entertainment at various cultural and community events. The band is fully funded by donations from the public and government allocations.

“My family really loves the arts, and my parents especially think it’s very important to support music players and artists. We donate and get our friends to donate too so we can all enjoy the good music,” said Chen.

Winterfest featured guest performer Isabelle Kosempa, a college senior and Emerging Talent in Voice Scholar studying vocal performance at UNC-Chapel Hill. The 21-year-old mezzo-soprano previously took on roles performing in the Janiec Opera Company and is currently performing in “The Mending Sampler”, a composition that is based on “The Sewing Girl’s Tale,” detailing the journey of the first woman in America to sue for sexual assault. 

Green Hope junior Radhika Chaudhary (’25) also attended the performance, citing the performance as a means for people who traditionally don’t attend musical events to enjoy the concert. “I really enjoyed the concert and the music performed. I never really attended town events, and it’s very different than the high school bands and famous professional players I normally see on stage,” she said.  “Being an adult, many of [the band members] have families and such, and I find it really interesting that something that they all chose to stick to is making music. And even more, it’s beautiful that they all come together to put all their passion together.”

Ten holiday pieces was performed, representing a variety of music that catered to fans of all genres.

Winterfest opened with a compelling performance of “Christmas Legends,” resulting in a harmonic cumulation of melodies that amplified the holiday spirit. A projection of shining white snowflakes that softly fell across both sides of the theater set off audience members in an engaging experience that appealed to both the ears and the eyes.

“Christmas Legends” was followed by a playful rendition of “Snow Day Celebration,” evoking the playfulness that, as Director Connie Varner said, “[may] not be as much fun for parents, but gives kids have a blast.” The fast-paced, high-tempo song featured numerous rapid crescendos that enchanted younger members of the audience.

The following piece, “Christmas Day,” presented a fantasia of older carols by English composer Gustav Holst, coupled with a rendition of “White Christmas,” made popular for its appearance in the 1942 musical “Holiday Inn.” The song, however, featured an introduction section that was neither in the movie nor in most subsequent performances of the song, where composer Irving Berlin discussed his love for the snow-heavy winter weather in New York, despite residing in Los Angeles at the time of writing the song. “White Christmas” was also the first introduction of Kosempa in the performance.

The next performance of “The Eighth Candle” celebrated those who celebrated the Jewish holiday Hanukkah, which started Dec. 7. The authentic fuse of modern and traditional tunes conveyed both reverence and solemnity — a precedent that was carried on by the next performed piece, “Snow in a Silent Wood.” The initially tranquil opening lines quickly escalated into a dramatic climax of rhythmic chords.

The bright mood persisted as the band performed a collection of holiday carols from the 1950s, from an era marked by its rock-and-roll influences. Fan-favorites like “Frosty the Snowman” and “There’s No Place Like Home for the Holidays” were dispersed with festive deliveries of catchy songs like “Jingle Bell Rock.”

Shortly following, the performance encouraged listeners to become part of the performance in a sing-a-long that commemorated well-loved pieces including “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”, “O Come, All Ye Faithful”, “Deck the Halls, Silent Night”, “The First Noel”, “Joy to the World” and “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.” 

The high-energy lead to an arrangement of “Saint’s Hallelujah,” an unconventional combination composed for the Canadian Brass to perform for Queen Elizabeth II. Rumored to represent the favorite holiday songs of both parties, “When the Saints Go Marching In” (the brass’ favorite) and “Hallelujah” (the queen’s favorite), the dynamic harmonies nonetheless pleased audiences as the concert began to wrap up. The performance cumulated in a rendition of the all-time hit “Sleigh Ride,” which also included an audience-engagement component. Varner led the crowd in creating whipping sounds that is usually created by a slapstick.

The performance was interrupted by a brief interruption in which members of the band drew for the winner of the annual “Silly Prizes,” a gift giveaway where audience members were given free raffle tickets prior to the performance. The prizes consisted of items matched to the music selections of the particular performance, and included a can of fake snow for “Snow Day Celebration,” a candle for “The Eighth Candle,” a garland of xmas trees for “Snow in a Silent Wood” and candy in a vintage gift box for “Christmas Sing-a-long.” 

“My favorite song was ‘Sleigh Ride,’ because the whip sounds were so funny,” said Chen, referring to the comedic nature in which Varner directed audience members to create sound effects. “It’s one of my favorite parts about the holidays and I love it not just because of the music but mostly because I get to be with my family and listen to the best music.”

As the performance drew to a close, many attendees lingered in the halls of the theater, reconnecting with friends who had also attended, before heading back into the chilly weather to take pictures under the glittering lights and return home with plenty of holiday cheer in their hearts. 

This is the first feature of the four-part series “Home for the holidays,” highlighting local holiday festivities that are unique to the Cary area.