SWR High School music students have had numerous opportunities to share their musical talents in both the school district and in the greater community. Members of the Tri-M Music Honor Society had a busy month volunteering their time, spreading cheer and performing music with visits to the Long Island State Veterans Home in Stony Brook, the Little Flower School in Wading River and AHRC in Shoreham. The group also planned and performed their second annual holiday concert at the North Shore Public Library to a large audience of community members. The High School Orpheus Ensemble also spread holiday cheer around the community through various musical performances. This select group of senior string musicians includes Grace DelSeni and Margaret Panasci on violin, Stephanie Searing and William Wells on viola and Alexander Kravchenko on cello. These students practice together throughout the year to be able to perform at school and community functions. In December, the ensemble performed music at AHRC in Shoreham, the Long Island State Veterans Home, the North Shore Public Library, the annual Wading River Historical Society Holiday Tea at the Wading River Congregational Church, the High School’s Blue Ribbon ceremony and the annual Miller Avenue School Art Show. “These students volunteered their time to perform at all of these events, and we are extremely grateful for their generosity and hard work,” music teacher Ashley O'Connor said. The concert choir also had a unique opportunity to perform at the Patchogue Theater along with Centereach High School students to sing with the Long Island Concert Orchestra. The students joined the LICO in singing Believe from The Polar Express, Beethoven’s Fantasy for Piano Choir and Orchestra and the Hallelujah Chorus among other pieces. “We were thrilled to be invited back to perform with this concert,” music teacher Dennis Creighton said. “The opportunity to sing with a professional orchestra is such a rare gift we can offer our students. This performance is a great testament to the hard work and time our students put into their musicianship and sense of community during the holiday season.” The musical festivities continued throughout the district when students went caroling at Prodell Middle School, Wading River School and Miller Avenue School, providing inspiration and a powerful message of school community spirit.