The holiday orchestra and choir concert always presents numerous holiday pieces performed by talented student musicians for families, friends and community members alike. Some pieces have become an annual tradition for the South string, wind and chorale ensembles who perform, such as “Hallelujah,” by George Frederic Handel, “Christmas Bells,” by Robert P. Macoon and an arrangement of Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You.” Yet, there is no tradition that has been a constant at the holiday concert for longer than the choir’s performance of the song “Fruitcake”.
First performed almost thirty-five years ago, “Fruitcake” has become a fan favorite for concert attendees. Introduced by Glenbard South choir director retiree, Stephanie Skizas, after her first year of teaching, the song soon left audiences yearning to hear it again and again. Skizas recounted thinking, “We’ll do it one more year, one more year, and pretty soon we couldn’t stop!”
Skizas first encountered the song when she was a high school student, remembering how fun it seemed to watch and perform. As a new choir teacher, she initiated the song with South’s show choir. The performance later transitioned to the baritone choir, an ensemble made of mainly tenor and bass voices.
Besides its catchy and round style lyrics, “Fruitcake” is also known for its grouped dance moves. Each group describes a different step in the process of baking a holiday fruitcake: the flour, the fruit, the cinnamon and the cherry. Skizas recalled, “They were fighting to be the cherry. It was like a rite of passage.”
For the first time this year, “Fruitcake” was performed by the entire choir, not just the baritone. All levels became involved and learned their group parts to bring the joy of the “Fruitcake” performance to many. Mckenzie Herlien, a freshman choir student, describes the experience as being “super exciting and fun to be a part of” as a new member of the chorale family.
