Despite the festivity of the frost-tinted air and bright Christmas lights decorating the suburbs, students at MRHS are still working themselves to the bone to finish the assignments that pile up before winter break. Amidst the tests and papers, many students want to participate in the holiday activities that make the season special. Little do they know, there is an annual event sure to make their spirits bright. On December 17th, MRHS held its yearly Holiday Jazz Cabaret with homey lighting, mountains of food and the sweet sound of jazz in the commons. The jazz band–including the jazz combo–women’s choir and madrigals performed. 

   The jazz band rehearsed for six weeks to make sure that those attending the cabaret enjoyed the highest quality music that Marriotts Ridge can provide.

   “We get to school in the morning at 6:50, we start tuning our instruments, and then we start our first piece from the collection of cabaret music. From there, we keep practicing and fix all of our mistakes,” said junior Ezra Ijiymei.

   Mustangs were able to hear beloved holiday classics. The arrangement of songs has stayed the same since Jazz Cabaret began, although different students sing each year. Performers were chosen by the MRHS music directors. Their selection of songs is based on the music that MRHS owns and what the audience will know and connect with.

   “We try to provide a well-rounded program. We not only give music that educates our performers to be able to perform all styles, but we also want our audience to come away hearing a little bit of something from every pocket,” choir director Ross Rawlings explained.

   Students were provided with the songs at the end of October and prepared for auditions as soloists, duets or trios. 

   “There’s a sign-up sheet where you sign up in the morning and [during the audition after school], you will sing the first verse or run-through of the song you signed up for in front of the music directors,” junior Avani Singavarapu explained.

  Songs and performers heard at the cabaret are: Christmas Time Is Here, sung by sophomore Ashwini Bandi and freshman Kavya Seralathan; Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer, sung by senior Adithya Vadivel, senior Claudia Koenig and junior Tyler Solomon; Santa Baby, sung by junior Claire Daly; White Christmas, sung by seniors Juho Bay and Max Ryon; Let it Snow!, sung by juniors Sarah Pan and Danielle Mathews; Frosty the Snowman, sung by seniors Rishika Talla and Simar Saini; The Christmas Song, sung by sophomore Timothy Moon; This Christmas, sung by junior Julia Lu; Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, sung by junior Avani Singavarapu and Santa Claus is Coming to Town, sung by sophomores Desmond Casper and Arshaan Khan. 

   The jazz band, madrigals and women’s choir produced a sonorous night for the community. Through tireless runs at the crack of dawn on Wednesday and Friday mornings and rehearsals in the choir classroom, MRHS musicians offered a sleighing song on the night of the cabaret. Those involved in the event encouraged their fellow students to come to the cabaret not only to support classmates, but to gorge on the food that will be provided in the cafeteria and to have fun with friends in the darkness of the pre-winter break work slump.

   “The Jazz Cabaret should continue to be a tradition at MRHS because it’s focused on jazz, a type of music that doesn’t get much attention, which makes the event unique. Also, just having people [alumni] coming back for the cabaret really helps to keep the community [at MRHS] even after all of these years,” junior Sarah Pan said. 

   Despite the festivity of the frost-tinted air and bright Christmas lights decorating the suburbs, students at MRHS are still working themselves to the bone to finish the assignments that pile up before winter break. Amidst the tests and papers, many students want to participate in the holiday activities that make the season special. Little do they know, there is an annual event sure to make their spirits bright. On December 17th, MRHS held its yearly Holiday Jazz Cabaret with homey lighting, mountains of food and the sweet sound of jazz in the commons. The jazz band–including the jazz combo–women’s choir and madrigals performed. 

   The jazz band rehearsed for six weeks to make sure that those attending the cabaret enjoyed the highest quality music that Marriotts Ridge can provide.

   “We get to school in the morning at 6:50, we start tuning our instruments, and then we start our first piece from the collection of cabaret music. From there, we keep practicing and fix all of our mistakes,” said junior Ezra Ijiymei.

   Mustangs were able to hear beloved holiday classics. The arrangement of songs has stayed the same since Jazz Cabaret began, although different students sing each year. Performers were chosen by the MRHS music directors. Their selection of songs is based on the music that MRHS owns and what the audience will know and connect with.

   “We try to provide a well-rounded program. We not only give music that educates our performers to be able to perform all styles, but we also want our audience to come away hearing a little bit of something from every pocket,” choir director Ross Rawlings explained.

   Students were provided with the songs at the end of October and prepared for auditions as soloists, duets or trios. 

   “There’s a sign-up sheet where you sign up in the morning and [during the audition after school], you will sing the first verse or run-through of the song you signed up for in front of the music directors,” junior Avani Singavarapu explained.

  Songs and performers heard at the cabaret are: Christmas Time Is Here, sung by sophomore Ashwini Bandi and freshman Kavya Seralathan; Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer, sung by senior Adithya Vadivel, senior Claudia Koenig and junior Tyler Solomon; Santa Baby, sung by junior Claire Daly; White Christmas, sung by seniors Juho Bay and Max Ryon; Let it Snow!, sung by juniors Sarah Pan and Danielle Mathews; Frosty the Snowman, sung by seniors Rishika Talla and Simar Saini; The Christmas Song, sung by sophomore Timothy Moon; This Christmas, sung by junior Julia Lu; Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, sung by junior Avani Singavarapu and Santa Claus is Coming to Town, sung by sophomores Desmond Casper and Arshaan Khan. 

   The jazz band, madrigals and women’s choir produced a sonorous night for the community. Through tireless runs at the crack of dawn on Wednesday and Friday mornings and rehearsals in the choir classroom, MRHS musicians offered a sleighing song on the night of the cabaret. Those involved in the event encouraged their fellow students to come to the cabaret not only to support classmates, but to gorge on the food that will be provided in the cafeteria and to have fun with friends in the darkness of the pre-winter break work slump.

   “The Jazz Cabaret should continue to be a tradition at MRHS because it’s focused on jazz, a type of music that doesn’t get much attention, which makes the event unique. Also, just having people [alumni] coming back for the cabaret really helps to keep the community [at MRHS] even after all of these years,” junior Sarah Pan said. 

   By the time this article is published, the Jazz Cabaret will have taken place. So, for those that were able to attend this festive gathering, it is hoped that they had a pleasurable evening. For those that were not able to attend, it is encouraged that they ask their peers who went for their reviews. Those who couldn’t go should not be worried because there will be another Jazz Cabaret next year and it will be just as much fun, if not more so