Family Holiday Pops: York High School choirs to sing with Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra

Special to Seacoastonline
·2 min read

YORK — The Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra will perform its 2023 Family Holiday Pops concert on Sunday, Dec. 17, at 3 p.m. at the York Community Auditorium.

The Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra will be joined by the York High School Chamber Singers and Treble Choir, directed by Rob Westerberg, and the Portsmouth High School Choir, directed by Nathan Wotton.

An annual family favorite, the Family Holiday Pops program will delight audiences of all ages with a seasonal blend of music that will put your whole family in the holiday spirit. Program highlights include Anderson’s "A Christmas Festival" and "Sleighride," "Hanukkah Festival Overture" (arranged by Richman), "Christmas at the Movies" (arranged by Krogstad), Stevenson’s "A Holly and Jolly Sing Along," among many others.

“The energy that the student choirs bring to our annual sing-along is what really sets our Family Holiday Pops performances apart,” said John Page, Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra music director. “This December tradition is sure to get everyone in the holiday spirit.”

The Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra will be joined by the York High School Chamber Singers and Treble Choir, directed by Rob Westerberg, on Dec. 17 in York.
The Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra will be joined by the York High School Chamber Singers and Treble Choir, directed by Rob Westerberg, on Dec. 17 in York.

The Chamber Singers and Treble Choir are the two honors choir offerings at York High School. Both have performed as invited guests throughout Maine, including for the Maine Principals Association and the Maine Music Educators State Conference.

Director Rob Westerberg is in his 37th year teaching music, the last 24 at York High School. He is past president of several state music associations, has guest conducted nearly 70 honors choirs throughout New England, and was the York County Teacher of the Year in 2020.

The Portsmouth High School Choir is a collaborative group of singers in grades 9-12. The group has performed with several schools and participated in various festivals throughout the state, including the Seacoast Choral Festival, NH Voices Project, UNH Choral Gala, and the Great East Music Festival, and has received gold medals for their performances in adjudicated festivals and performances. The choir will travel to Italy in June 2025 to sing and perform as part of the American Celebration of Music Festival in Rome, Venice, and Florence. The Portsmouth High School Choir is directed by Nathan Wotton, who also directs the Portsmouth Middle School Choirs and the Sandpipers Children’s Choir at PMAC.

Family Holiday Pops tickets are $35 for adults, $30 for seniors, and $15 for students and are available for purchase at www.portsmouthsymphony.org.

Founded in 1997, the orchestra consists of more than 65 local professionals, educators, dedicated amateurs and advanced students.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Family Holiday Pops: Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra to perform in York