The Ho Holiday Issue The Benjamin j i School S h Newspaper
16 December 2025 Volume 47, Issue 02
4875 Grandiflora Road, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418
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hat’s inside?
Winter Music Festival brings sounds of the holiday season to Benjamin Hall stage Annabel Brown Staff Writer
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Every year, Floridians are left grasping at the threads of the winter season for one fleeting–albeit welcome–chilly evening. Attendees of Friday’s annual Winter Music Festival received an early present in the form of a chillingly amazing musical performance. The Middle School Band and Honor Band opened the performance with “Do You Want to Build a Snowman,” “Snow,” and “Chanukah Overture.” They were followed by the Middle School String Ensemble with “Dreidel Adventure (S’vion)” and “A Christmas Symphony.” Middle School band teacher Mr. Ransom Miller and Upper School musical director Dr. Ian Henderson performed a piano and saxophone duet of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire.” Afterwards, the Third Grade Violin Mozart Ensemble performed a charming rendition of “Chanukah, Chankuh!,” “Ode to Joy,” and “Jingle Bells.” The Upper School Combined Ensemble performed Movements I, VII, and VIII of The Nutcracker with Upper School Director of Educational Technology Dr. Amanda Pierman on the flute. The Nutcracker is one of my personal favorites, and the Combined Ensemble did not disappoint. Their rendition filled the auditorium with Christmas magic and unified all fa-
Upper School musicians delighted a full house with holiday tunes during the annual Winter Music Festival. Among the highlighted performers were faculty members Amanda Pierman and Abigail Milce (pictured above), and senior RJ Pierman (below). (Photos by Jeremy Ferris)
miliar with the classic pieces. The Upper School Chamber Ensemble continued with “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen,” “Chanukah,” and “Joy To The World.” The Concert Band then played “Jingle Bell Rock,” “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” and “Run, Rudolph, Run.” A few students stood during the songs’ bridges to perform improvised solos. I’m sure other audience members would agree with me in that it went over many of our heads and maybe even made the songs better. One of the highlights of this evening for me was Mr. Abigail Milce’s saxophone solo on “Hark the Herald, Angel Sing!” and “Come All Ye Faithful.” He commanded attention with his performance and the
atmosphere was transformed from a packed, dark auditorium to a cozy room and crackling fireplace. The Middle School Band, 7th Grade Strings, Upper School Concert Band, Chamber Ensemble, and Mrs. Belen Clifford brought a close to an excellent night with “Sleigh Ride,” performed with as much energy and cheer as pieces from the beginning of the night. The auditorium echoed the sounds of their music long after the performance was over. Beyond symphonies and melodies, this performance offered up a valuable lesson: cherish the time you spend with others during the holidays. Parents overwhelmed with pride, friends quietly cheering from the house, and people who sim-
Masters-ful. Boys’ golf team wins second State title in three years
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Photo by Jeremy Ferris
Isabel Anthon Associate Editor
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www.thepharcyte.com @thepharcyde_tbs @thepharcyde_tbs
Eleven golfers, two coaches, one dream: a state championship. That was the mentality that led the Varsity Boys’ Golf team to return to the Mission Inn Resort to clinch their second State title in three years. The team was favored from the start of the season to win the State Championship. They swept the competition at districts and regionals to secure their spot in the tournament. After failing to defend their 2023 title last year, the team had hopes of reclaiming glory at this year’s event. With a relatively sluggish start to the competition, those dreams dimmed until a resurgent final day of golf took the team to top of the leaderboard. Brooks Colton is a junior who joined the varsity team in seventh grade. “We almost expected to win, having played so well this season. Per-
sonally, that weekend was by far the most memorable moment this season. On the last day of the championship, our families came up to watch us. We won by five shots, and in 2023, we only won by one. It was less nerve-racking coming down from the 18th hole. Not having as much stress allowed us to enjoy ourselves more,” said Colton. Coach Toby Harbeck has coached the team for 42 years, garnering state championships in 1980, 1983, 2009, 2023, and now 2025. “My experience this year has been nothing short of sensational,” said Harbeck. “The players have been so much fun to practice with and travel to all of the overnight tournaments. In 42 years, this is the most fun that I have ever had with this team. The most challenging thing was that we needed to stay "focused" in Districts, Regionals, and States. If we did that, I knew that we would
win all of them, and we did exactly that. Andrew Tsar has been our leader this year, along with Charlie Woods and Brooks Colton. We played as a true team. Everyone contributed at the State Championship. Everyone's score helped us win.” As mentioned by Harbeck, junior Andrew Tsar stepped up to lead the team. He has been a member of the varsity team since seventh grade. Up until this year, he played alongside his brother, Pavel Tsar, who now plays Division 1 men’s golf at the University of Notre Dame. He recorded the 2nd-best score at the tournament, shooting 68-71. “I got better this season because I had my eyes on a state championship and played well at States. But throughout the season, I had my ups and downs. I was very happy with my performance this season,” said Tsar. “It [winning] was awesome. Capturing our second title in three years is a dream come true. When we all ran onto the green after the final putt and poured water on Coach Harbeck, it was so fun.” Tsar and other aforementioned team leaders, such as Charlie Woods and Brooks Colton, still have one more season left before they graduate. Alongside the younger players, they have a new dream: two state championships in a row. If this season is any indication, the Benjamin Boys’ golf team has a true fighting chance.
ply wanted to enjoy the evening all took a moment during the stress of holiday preparations and midterms to stop and cheer on their loved ones, and that is exactly the kind of winter magic we need.