This article was written by Amber Bhutta, class of 2019.
Chorus students ushered in the holiday season as they fulfilled their annual tradition of performing at the Disney Candlelight Processional at Epcot from Dec. 13-14.
A cherished holiday tradition, the Disney Candlelight Processional took place at the outdoor American Gardens Theater in Epcot. The performance involves the telling of the story of Christmas, typically by a celebrity narrator. This year, Harry Potter and Star Wars star Warwick Davis recounted the tale of Christmas to the audience alongside Disney’s Voices of Liberty, a 50-piece orchestra and a choir comprised of high school students in which the Heritage choir participated.
In order to participate, the choir records an audition tape every year under the direction of Mrs. Nina Vanderhoof and Mr. Johnpaul Moccia to submit to Disney for consideration. Out of the many high schools that apply every year, Heritage has always received the honor of being selected to perform.
The performance began with the choir holding candles and walking through the audience with three processionals: “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” and “O Little Town.” Once the choir reaches the stage, it performs a number of pieces in accordance with the narrator’s story, including “Shout for Joy!”, “O Come All Ye Faithful,” “Joy to the World” and “Hallelujah.”
“From the brilliant conductor to the audience, everyone has an incredibly rewarding, fulfilling experience of creating or witnessing a globally shared story of hope uniting into one musical work of pure, magical storytelling,” junior and choir member Gabriela Coutinho said.
