The season of crammed holiday concerts is upon us. Until December 17th, there will be a musical group performing in the Albany High Little Theater every night except Sunday.
This past Tuesday, December 9, featured Vivace, Albany High’s resident a capella group, and the Chamber Music Club. Eleven chamber music groups and soloists performed, interspersed with four holiday pieces from Vivace. The Chamber Music Club and Vivace are two clubs for those who enjoy making music, but are not necessarily involved in music department classes.
The performance involved both traditional classical pieces, as well as more unconventional songs. The diverse program ranged from fiery, passionate Beethoven and structured Bach to Mariah Carey and even a self-written piece for electric violin and guitars.
The members of Vivace strode confidently onto the stage sporting Santa hats and black outfits that gave them a polished, professional look. Their crisp, bright voices lifted the audience’s spirits, bringing holiday cheer into the dark theater.
The Chamber Music Club played a few holiday songs as well. Cong Chen and Lance Zeng performed a spirited rendition of The 12 Days of Christmas arranged as a piano duet. A brass quintet lifted the gold and silver bells of their instruments into the air, filling the theater with warm, rich tones.
The musicians were all talented and skilled, but their love of music was what made the performance enjoyable. The only complaint? “The publicity is lacking,” said one adult spectator. Potential audience members have to pay close attention to catch those concert announcements.
The choir department’s Holiday Concert was Wednesday night, December 10. The concert opened with a powerful rendition of Alleluia, Rejoice! sung by the combined choirs standing single file in the two aisles. A single spotlight shone on the pianist accompanying them. The lights rose on the stage as singers filed onto the stage, chanting their music.
Men’s Choir, Women’s Choir and Chorale each performed several selections. They covered everything from Carol of the Bells to Mr. Grinch; and of course, every men’s choir has to sing at least one song about love. Chorale’s crowd pleaser was Various Themes on “Fa-La-La,” which was cleverly choreographed by this elite vocal group.
Vocal Flight, a vocal jazz group of selected choir members, had its debut. This twelve-person group includes four male parts and eight female parts. The parts are small, but strong. Both numbers they performed showcased intricate harmony and solos. Vocal Flight is comprised of relatively young singers, and they have promising years ahead of them.
The memorable voice of the combined choirs made a grand finale. The overall audience reaction was enthusiastic. “I’m proud of our performance tonight. It went really smooth,” said junior Lin Su.
Choir director Mary Low has proven herself to be a capable teacher in the short time she has been here. “It was amazing and I was incredibly impressed with the professionalism of the singers… And the parents baked wonderful goodies,” remarked a cheerful Low.
Here’s a breakdown of the upcoming musical events:
Thursday, December 11 – AMS Jazz
Friday, December 12 – Dance 1/2
Saturday, December 13 – Dance 2/2
Monday, December 15 – Band and Orchestra
Tuesday, December 16 – Jazz Bands, Rhythm Bound, and Vocal Flight
Wednesday, December 17 – AMS Choir
We hope you enjoy the music of the holiday season.
Special to the Cougar by April Yang Alia McKean
this year’s sports coverage is HORRIBLE
what happened to the excellent coverage and photography of the past couple years?
It sort of left with 08…