Winter Concert｜When Snowflakes Sing, Winter by Candlelight: Harrow Beijing’s Winter Concert Comes to a Heartwarming Close

At Harrow Beijing, music, art, and LAMDA public speaking have never been merely “a slot on the timetable”, but an important pathway for developing students’ holistic capabilities. The classroom is not only a space where learning takes place, but also a stage where children continuously learn through trial and error and push beyond their limits: they broaden their listening and aesthetic appreciation in a multicultural musical context, hone focus and discipline through instrumental training and ensemble collaboration, and strengthen the logic, emotion, and impact of their expression through drama and speaking practice. Rehearsal after rehearsal and performance after performance ultimately crystallise into future-facing confidence, communication skills, and leadership.

Harrow Beijing has always placed holistic education at its core. While pursuing academic excellence, we also attach equal importance to the comprehensive development of artistic literacy, cultural vision, and public expression. We believe that only by establishing a solid balance between academics, the arts, and overall competencies can students present their authentic and remarkable selves on a broader world stage. This winter, students, teachers, and parents from the Kindergarten, Lower School, and Upper School came together at the Winter Concert – lighting the way with music and bearing witness through the stage – as we look back on a year of growth and achievements and jointly welcome a brand-new 2026.

Kindergarten
Making the Stage
the First Classroom for Growth

The Winter Concert opened with Kindergarten student representatives confidently taking to the stage, leading everyone into a candlelit winter night. For the youngest children, this was not only a performance, but also a real “public expression practice”: how to stand steady under the spotlight, follow instructions, cooperate with peers, turn nervousness into courage, and bring the focus from rehearsals onto the stage.

When familiar musical theatre melodies began, the children experienced the joy of “speaking through music” through rhythm, pitch, and physical expression. Every time they opened their mouths and every time they bowed was an accumulation of confidence and stage etiquette, and also the gentlest yet most solid landing point of holistic education at the early years stage.

Lower School
When Snowflakes Sing
Progressing from
Children’s Voices to Musicality

With When Snowflakes Sing as its theme, the Lower School programme spans classics, choral training, and instrumental presentations: from the pure lines of children’s choir, to festive melodies in different styles and the poetic expression of Chinese works, children learn not only to “sing accurately” and “sing together”, but also to tell stories with their voices and express emotions through music. The programme includes both choral works performed by the whole group and segments presented by individuals and small groups, allowing the audience to clearly see the children’s growth journey over the year – from the classroom to the stage – where listening, rhythm, collaboration, and stage focus are all indispensable.

For the upper years of the Lower School, the difficulty of the repertoire and the demands of the stage rise in step: richer instrumental and ensemble line-ups, stronger control of tempo and dynamics, and more delicate handling of musical expression. In rehearsals, children learn to break down goals, refine repeatedly, and listen to one another; on stage, they learn to steady their rhythm and mindset, turning every practice session into visible results.

Upper School
Winter by Candlelight
Creating a More Diverse
Music Celebration

The Upper School programme centres on multi-genre sharing of the stage: from musical theatre excerpts to orchestral works, from instrumental collaborations to dance and the jazz band, the stage language shifts freely across different art forms.

More importantly, this is a comprehensive practice of “turning learning into a work”: the confident presentation on stage is supported by time management, teamwork, stage coordination, and resilience under pressure. The sense of belonging and collective honour emphasised by school culture also becomes a unified rhythm and shared rapport on this night—allowing every student to find their role and their light within the team.

FOH Choir
Home and School
in Harmony
Singing Warmth
into the Campus

At this year’s Winter Concert, the FOH choir’s appearance on stage was an especially moving “home–school resonance”. As familiar melodies echoed through the auditorium, the stage no longer belonged only to students and teachers, but also to every parent willing to devote time and passion to the community. Their singing made the winter night brighter, and also showed children that learning and passion can run through a lifetime, and that families and the school can stand side by side for the same shared purpose.

Thank you to the FOH choir for setting an example for children through action – writing support into rehearsals and singing companionship onto the stage. It is precisely this shared participation that allows Harrow Beijing’s whole-person education to take place not only within classrooms and courses, but also within every act of co-creation through home–school partnership.

The H
Winter Fair

On the same afternoon, Friends of Harrow brought a Winter Fair to the whole school community: including The Hill Shop limited-edition surprise bags, specially customised Harrow Blue holiday wreaths, hand-painted festive cookies, a variety of craft experiences, as well as food and hot drinks – adding an even richer festive experience and community warmth to the Winter Concert. Our special thanks go to the committee and all volunteers for your dedication and support – because of your participation, the children’s stage was held with greater tenderness, and the campus was lit with even greater warmth.

In this gathering of “When Snowflakes Sing, Winter by Candlelight”, we witnessed moments when children turned practice into confidence, collaboration into rapport, and passion into a finished work. Thank you to every student for your commitment, to every teacher for your guidance, and to parents and FOH volunteers for your support—making the stage a place where growth is seen.

May the music and warmth
of this winter accompany us
as we continue towards a broader world stage
and welcome a brand-new 2026.