On Dec. 17, Rock Ridge Sings held its annual winter concert, themed “Blizzard Beats,” featuring a wide range of holiday-themed music. The ensembles that performed at the concert were Cantus Avem, the all-female freshman choir; Phoenix Chorale, the mixed-grade choir; Rockapella, the acapella group; and Chamber Choir, the advanced, all-female, upperclassmen choir. 

The night began with Phoenix Chorale singing “Carol of the Bells,” arranged by Trey Tanner. The upbeat, rock version of the song featured Patrick O’ Rourke on percussion and Hannah Adnan, a Phoenix alumna, on guitar. Afterwards, they performed “Where the Light Begins,” by Susan LaBarr. Following the choir, Cantus Avem took the stage, with “Hanukkah” by Suzanne Sherman Propp and “Hodie! Alleluia!” by Mary Lynn Lightfoot. Each song was directed by choir teacher Jordan Markwood and piano accompanist Peter Uhlir.

Throughout the evening, each choir was introduced on stage by senior Annabelle Monte and junior Laura Adams, both members of the Chamber Choir. After Adams introduced Rockapella, she joined them as the group’s conductor. Following Rockapella’s performance of the haunting “Do You Hear What I Hear?” arranged by Michele Weir, Markwood took a moment to let the audience know that what Adams was doing was not an easy task as a student. Learning how to conduct takes a lot of skill and can’t be easily accomplished. 

Following Rockapella’s performance, the Chamber Choir took stage, performing “Things That Never Die” by Lee Dengler, “Singkap Siaga” by Tracy Wong, and “Stand in the Light,” arranged by Roger Emerson. The Chamber Choir recently performed at the Virginia Music Educators Association (VMEA), and the songs they sang at the concert were from the pieces they prepared for VMEA. “Singkap Siaga” featured powerful vocals from a small ensemble who marched onto the front of the stage as the song progressed. The song was a gutsy and fiery piece which was inspired by the almost-extinct Malay tradition of shadow puppet theatre and its music. 

Following Chamber’s performance, Markwood announced to the audience that the final song was going to be performed by all the choirs, and was a tradition Rock Ridge Sings had been following for the past six years. Following the passing of a former student’s mother, the student requested that their choir sang “Mary, Did You Know?” at the winter concert, as it was their mother’s favorite song. Since then, “Mary, Did You Know?” arranged by Craig Courtney, has been the final performance of every Rock Ridge Sings winter concert as a tribute to the student’s mother. 

Markwood also took this opportunity to invite Phoenix alumni onto the stage to perform alongside the choirs. A few alumni who went on stage included Ellie Schubert (2022), Kylie Miller (2022), Maggie Miller (2024), Ananya Akula (2024), Emily Gruessing (2024), Catie Cantwell (2024), and Arjun Tarafdar (2019).

After the final notes of “Mary, Did You Know?” concluded, families were invited to a reception sponsored by the Rock Ridge Choral Boosters in the cafeteria for light refreshments.

The next Rock Ridge Sings concert is the Pre-Assessment concert on March 4, 2025.

Gallery • 8 Photos

Senior Kailyn Fetterman sings her solo for the song “Mary, Did You Know?” behind a backdrop of shimmering crafted music notes and snowflakes, following the concert’s theme “Blizzard Beats.”