Concert for a Winter’s Eve
Every December, just as students get ready for a final push of school before the Winter Break, talented musicians and artists showcase their outstanding ability in a Concert for a Winter’s Eve. Ms Edna Widenmaier, Director of Arts, told me it used to be called Christmas by Candlelight, and that the windows in the old hall “were full of holly and lit candles”. With CFWE’s rich 25-year history, it continuously highlights some of the most skillful performers in the warm Killy Theatre while combining holiday cheer and festive feelings! The proceeds go to the CMS (Cobble Hill, Mill Bay and Shawnigan Lake) foodbank, across the road from the school.
To set the scene, when adults and students arrived, Ms Plough and her Theatre Production team created a spectacular set with beautiful lighting and ambience. This holiday vision was executed with tree silhouettes, hanging stars and lights around the stage.
The first performance, by the String and Wind Ensembles, got the audience into the Holiday spirit with It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas by Meredith Willson. A great detail that caught the audience's attention was the tubular bells that made it sound exactly like the original!
The following performances were also impressive. The array of arrangements from vocalists, pianists, violinists and guitarists displayed a very high level of ability in our arts program. One of my favourite performances of the night was Don’t Know Why by Nora Jones, sung by Estelle D, Allard ‘24. It was one of the most effortless and beautiful performances this year. Another notable performance was You’re a Mean one Mr. Grinch by Hawk A, Privett ‘25, who was transported on stage by our wonderful Theatre Pro team in a life-size Grinch costume!
The rest of the night was phenomenal with a highly technical rendition of Duke Ellington’s Caravan, by Finn W, Rogers ‘24 and Zheng Y, Privett ‘24. On top of this, Gillian D, Hope ‘24, sang Every Night at Seven by Lane & Lerner to perfection and Isha Cs, Mack ‘24, gave a classy performance of the hit song Sway by Pablo Beltran Ruiz. Luca B, Alex ‘24, said “It was my first and last performance in a Brentwood concert and I couldn’t be prouder of this group of people. It was so much fun”. A special shout out to Mimi D, Allard ‘24 for always leaving the audience speechless with her excellence as a violinist.
Before the final wave of performances, Arts Prefect Gillian D, Hope ‘24 stated “It takes a ton of work to pull something off like this, so well done, all”. A tremendous thank you to everyone who put so much effort into creating this magical event, including the performers, Mr McGill, Mr Newns, Ms Widenmaier, Ms Plough, Ms Wang, Ms Staples, Mr Minckler and the Theatre Production team. This event was a hit and went towards a great cause this holiday season. What an amazing way to send students off for break!
Ella W, Mack ‘25