By: Ellie Cauthen On Wednesday, July 7, Governor’s School East students gathered with excitement to watch the choral music performance. For many students, this was their first time at Meredith’s amphitheater, where a variety of performances have taken place in past years. Audience members gathered with their friends in the grassy area, prepared with towels and bug spray. Everyone was filled with anticipation as they took their seats, some arriving as much as thirty minutes early in order to ensure a spot in the front row. The performance started promptly when the chorus students began making their way down the steps at 7:15pm. They walked with poise and grace, making it obvious that they had spent a lot of time practicing every aspect of the performance. While walking to their spots, the choir began to hum and started singing the first song, called “Bright Morning Star.” With this rather serious but hopeful number, the tone of the night was set. Gwen McLeod Hall, one of the choral instructors, introduced herself after the first song. She mentioned that the major theme of the night was exploring how humans express their feelings and the complexity of their lived experiences. Then, Gwen read a portion of the lyrics of the next song that they were performing. Her emotional reading of these lyrics added an extra layer to the performance. It helped the audience understand the vast emotional meaning of these songs that can sometimes be lost in translation when only hearing them through song.
Overall, the concert was very well planned and it was evident that a lot of hard work and practice had gone into perfecting every detail. From the chorus students’ professional attire, to the powerful gestures of the conductor, everything came together nicely. When asked about the preparations that went into the concert, choral student Haven Lucas said, “We used all the allotted time to practice our songs and in the last week we practiced more together. We also took time to go on vocal rest so that we would be ready for the concert, as well as going to the amphitheater to practice the songs there and set up.” According to multiple choir students, “To Be Free'' was the most difficult song to learn, taking multiple practices to memorize the rhythm and apply the pitch correctly. All of the hard work that the choir directors, students, and TACs put into rehearsing for the concert was apparent to the audience members. One of the most beautiful things about the concert was that everyone, the audience and singers included, resonated with different songs for different reasons. When asked her favorite song, Haven said that she resonated the most with “The Music of Stillness.” She said, “When we first started learning that song, I had a deep connection with it. I had spent a long time away from choir because of COVID, so being able to come together with an experienced and talented choir and sing such a beautiful song was very touching.” One of the most powerful moments of the show was the performance of the last song, “Barso Re.” GSE Visual Art student, Manasi Chaudhary, took part in a performance of Kathak, which is a form of North Indian dance. Manasi shared her expertise with the GSE Dance Company, who performed alongside her. Several Instrumental Music students also played along, accompanying the singers and dancers during this piece. The upbeat music and touching collaboration was the perfect way to close the show. Arguably, the most important aspect of musical concerts is the impact that they have on the audience. This mid-session concert left GSE audience members rejuvenated and inspired. It also left students contemplating the many themes that were presented throughout the night, from the importance of being kind to strangers to the meaning behind the creation of the world and music. It was encouraging to see how many students showed up to support their peers in choral music, dance, and instrumental music. Overall, the collaboration and support that was shown at the concert exhibits what Governor’s School is all about - community.
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
ABOUT THE EAST SIDE STORYThe ESS is the story of us... the story of the GSE. Our goal is provide the Governor's School East with coverage of everything GSE -- events, interest pieces, highlights, and issues. After reading the East Side Story, we hope you're informed, enlightened about the happiest day at Governor's School East. CATEGORIES
All
|