Outside temperatures were in the high 60s, but the Gabriel Youth Orchestra brought winter and Christmas favorites to the auditorium Sunday afternoon at the Pottsville Area School District's D.H.H. Lengel Middle School.
The orchestra, under the direction of John F. Potlunas, music director, presented its holiday concert to a full auditorium and an audience that provided enthusiastic applause after each piece.
"Welcome on this beautiful spring day, I mean winter day, to our winter concert," Potlunas said.
Potlunas said that a few years ago they had to cancel because of the "S" word - snow - but that wasn't the case Sunday.
The Gabriel Youth Orchestra brings together instrumental music students from all corners of Schuylkill County as well as neighboring counties.
It is open to musicians in grades seven through 12.
Potlunas, conductor and music director, recently retired from the Tamaqua Area School District as band director and directed the Schuylkill Youth Symphony Orchestra for 18 years.
Among the songs the students played were "Christmas Music for Orchestra" by John Cacavas, "The Christmas Song" by Giuseppe Verdi and "Sleigh Ride" by LeRoy Anderson.
Although the orchestra played holiday music, it also did selections that did not have a Christmas theme, such as "Polka from The Bartered Bride" by Bedrich Smetana.
"This is not a coal region polka, this is a classical, so I don't think anyone is going to be up here dancing polka," Potlunas said.
The Gabriel Youth Orchestra meets for rehearsals from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesdays.
It is funded by the Gabriel Chamber Ensemble, a professional and self-managed piano quartet, through ticket and advertising revenues, as well as individual, corporate and foundation support, government and other grants.
The next concert in the orchestra's 2013-14 season will be at 3 p.m. April 13, 2014 at the D.H.H. Lengel Middle School.
For more information about the Gabriel Youth Orchestra, go online to www.gabrielensemble.org.