Winter Concert Newsletter: Holiday Season Performance Guide

The winter concert is often the most attended music event of the year, because families are already gathering for the holidays and the timing is natural. Your newsletter should take advantage of that seasonal momentum by treating the concert as an event worth planning around, not just a calendar item to note.

Open with the program in language that creates anticipation

The winter concert program often includes familiar holiday music alongside less familiar pieces. Describe both types in a way that makes families eager to hear them: the familiar with the specific context of what the ensemble is doing with it, and the unfamiliar with enough description to spark curiosity.

"The concert choir opens with a traditional arrangement of O Come All Ye Faithful that uses an unusual bass line developed for this specific arrangement. You know the melody. You have never heard it with this particular harmonic support underneath it. After that, we move into Tomer's Hinei Ma Tov, a Hebrew choral piece that most families in this audience will be hearing for the first time. Listen for the way the melody passes between sections."

Address the December scheduling reality directly

December is the most schedule-congested month of the year. A newsletter that acknowledges this and makes the concert easy to fit into the calendar generates more attendance than one that ignores the competing demands.

"We know December is packed. The concert is Tuesday, December 10th, at 7 PM. Running time is approximately 65 minutes, including intermission. You will be home before 8:30 PM. The concert is worth planning around. Your student has been working toward this performance since October."

Describe the cultural range of the program explicitly

Winter concert programs that represent multiple cultural traditions benefit from explicit description in the newsletter. Families from diverse backgrounds who recognize their cultural heritage in the program feel genuinely welcomed, and families who will hear an unfamiliar tradition arrive curious rather than confused.

"This year's program includes music from the Western Christmas tradition, the Jewish Hanukkah tradition, the West African Kwanzaa tradition, and a secular winter piece drawn from Nordic folk music. Students researched the cultural origins of each piece as part of the preparation process. Ask your student what they learned about the history of any piece they tell you about."

Cover logistics with attention to the December parking challenge

December school events have the worst parking situations of any school event because holiday gatherings are happening everywhere simultaneously. Give families specific parking information and, where possible, an alternative if the main lot fills.

"Main lot typically fills by 6:40 PM for the winter concert. Overflow parking is available at the church on the corner of Main and Oak, approximately a three-minute walk. Do not park along the fire lane on the east side of the building. Doors open at 6:30 PM. Concert begins at 7:00 PM."

Sample newsletter template excerpt

Winter Concert: Tuesday, December 10th, 7 PM, Main Auditorium.

Student call time is 6:00 PM. Students should arrive in concert dress and check in with their director. Families and guests arrive at 6:30 PM.

Concert dress: all-black formal wear. Holiday accessories like a festive scarf or pin are welcome. No athletic shoes or sneakers.

Tickets: no ticket required. Seating is open, first come first served. Accessible seating is available in the front left section and will be held until 6:55 PM.

Describe what the performance represents for each ensemble

By December, ensembles have been rehearsing together for three months. A newsletter that places the winter concert in the context of that work, describing where students started in September and what has changed since, helps families hear the concert as evidence of growth rather than a single performance event.

Build excitement for the spring concert without diminishing the winter one

The winter concert is the midpoint of the year. A brief mention in the newsletter of what students are looking forward to learning in the second semester creates continuity and gives families a reason to stay invested in the program beyond December.