The Upper School had its Fall Concert on Nov. 30. Music directors and student musicians worked hard to put together a program leading up to the performance. This year’s concert, however, was particularly special.
For the first time since the fall of 2019, the families of the band, choir, and string orchestra musicians sat in one auditorium.
After the COVID-19 pandemic shook the world several years ago, necessary health precautions were taken for both students and their families. The orchestra performed in the Honickman Auditorium during concerts, while the band and choir performed in the Art Center. Mr. Jeremy Correnti, the all-school Director of the Band, expressed his frustration with the situation.
“It moved people away from each other,” Mr. Correnti said. “And that’s never what you want for anything. It’s certainly not what you want in the performing arts.”
At last, the orchestra returned to the Art Center, joining the others. Each musician and audience member could now hear all three groups play on a large stage. The musician community, especially, expressed their joy at this news.
“I am personally kissing COVID goodbye,” Mr. Correnti said. “See you later. We’re all going to be back together in the same room. And we’re going to celebrate each other in our community with great music.”
The orchestra played classical pieces from different eras. The band presented a mix of genres such as a song by the rock band Led Zeppelin and Dvorak’s New World Symphony. The choir’s selection of music– holiday carols and songs in other languages– explored the theme of world peace and the mission of making the world a better place.
“I’m really proud of the diverse styles in which we play and in which we sing,” Mr. Frank Van Atta, middle and upper school choral director, said. “I think that’s going to be the takeaway: that folks get to hear a little bit of everything.”
While each group brought a unique identity to the performance, they joined together for the night’s grand finale– a combined number featuring all three groups, with musicians positioned throughout the large auditorium. They performed a South African piece titled “Baba Yetu”. With lyrics in Swahili, the song translates into a prayer for peace.
Band member Jianna Kim ‘25, who plays flute, looked forward to this part of the performance.
“It was fun playing with the orchestra in freshman year and also for graduation,” Kim said. “I think it was a good opportunity to merge this year.”
To orchestrate this reunion, the music directors engaged in meticulous coordination. They had numerous meetings starting in the summer and in the months leading up to the performance. In addition to choosing the repertoire, they coordinated everything the audience saw that night.
“Everything down to the transitions was discussed,” Mr. Van Atta said. “Every minute of the concert is really planned out so that it can be as much about music making as possible.”
Students in each group also prepared for the concert almost every day during rehearsals. Preceding the concert, middle and upper school orchestra director Mr. Chris Horner emphasized the need for practice, particularly for challenging sections.
“Everyone is going to have to make sure to hit the woodshed at home on those more difficult passages,” Mr. Horner said. “But I’m feeling pretty good about it.”
From sight reading the score for the first time to perfecting it, each piece in the program challenged the students to grow as musicians. They looked forward to seeing their hard work pay off and being able to perform in front of their families alongside their peers.
“What I love about performing is it’s just that connection that you feel with other people,” Mr. Correnti said. “I like that. We can’t do any of this by ourselves. We need each other.”