THS Winter Concert Rings in the new Auditorium

Hundreds of people flocked to the new Auditorium to hear the high school's five choirs perform their first show Thursday night.

About 220 students spread out over five groups took part in the annual Winter Choral Concert, ending with the joyous finale of George Frideric Handel's Hallelujah Chorus.

Conducted by Choir Director Anne Tornillo, the Concert Choir started with "Angels We Have Heard on High" followed by an old-sounding but relatively new piece called "Personent Hodie."

Tornillo conducted the Women's Ensemble's rendition of "Deck the Halls" in 7/8 meter, a little bit bouncier than the traditional beat.

"It's something I think you should enjoy listening to," she said.

The concert has been a school tradition for Tornillo's 24 years at there, but the auditorium, with 1,100 seats, allowed double the listeners.

Students praised the new auditorium, for which ground was broken in late August 2009.

"It's definitely bigger. It's much more beautiful, more pretty. The acoustics are much better," said Stephen Wong, a 15-year-old sophomore who played the viola for the Hallelujah Chorus.

Tierney Loughran, 17, a senior, sang in the Concert Choir. "I think it's absolutely gorgeous," she said. "It makes you feel more professional...almost like a college would be."

"I appreciate all the effort to have it ready for us," she added.

Back inside the auditorium, Tornillo was ready to conduct "Up on the Housetop" with the Chamber Singers.

This year, the students had a contest to decide what gifts to include in the carol.

"They came up with so many good ideas," she said. "The basses should have all the fun. They get to sing all the gift lists."

One was a Red Ryder BB gun, to which they added in song, "You'll shoot your eye out."

For the finale, Tornillo invited THS alumni onstage to sing Hallelujah, including First Selectman Tim Herbst, who was a Chamber Singer in as THS student.

She explained that listeners stand during the chorus because King George II of England mysteriously stood during its performance in 1743.

"Because of that it's now a tradition across the world," she said.

After the show, Herbst said he was a little winded at first.

But, he added, "As soon as the first word came out, it came back," he said.