FBy Cole Dougherty ‘18 and Brian Willman ‘19
For each of the eight performing groups at Chaminade, the Spring Concert offers a chance to showcase its musical talent, chiseled to perfection with hours of practice. For the seniors in particular, this evening represents their final opportunity to perform as Chaminade students. Conversely, for the students, faculty, and family members, the Spring Concert brings a time to appreciate all these musicians have to offer. For all in attendance, this past weekend’s Spring Concert truly served as a time of good music and coming together as the Chaminade Family.
On Friday, April 28, the Flyers Band, Crimson Band, Crimson Glee Club, and String Orchestra gathered in Darby Auditorium to perform for their friends and family. Directed by Mr. Robert Evans, the Flyers Band began the night with performances of “Just a Gigolo/Ain’t Got Nobody,” “Barnum and Bailey,” “Golden Age of Rock and Roll,” “I Had a Dream,” and “Malagueña,” so encapsulating that the conductor characterized it as a “show” rather than a performance. “The parents loved it,” remarked Mr. Evans. “The parents were singing, dancing, and overall seemed to really enjoy the music.”
Taking to the risers next, the Crimson Glee Club, directed by Mrs. Viktoriya Khokhlova, gave audience members a treat with their renditions of “A Tribute to Queen” and the “Theme from New York, New York,” made popular by Frank Sinatra. Following the Crimson Glee Club’s fine performance, the Crimson Band under the direction of Mr. Anthony Bavota surprised the crowd when junior Andrew Daniel ’18 took control of the band and conducted the hit “Africa,” by Toto.
The String Orchestra took the stage afterward to close the night and waved their bows in a magical performance. In addition to Coldplay’s “Clocks” and the theme from E.T. the Extra Terrestrial, which were featured at the student concert on Thursday, the Orchestra added the well-known theme from Harry Potter and the timeless “Stairway to Heaven” by the legendary band Led Zeppelin.
The concluding night of the Spring Concerts arrived on Saturday, April 29. The Jazz Band under the direction of Mr. Brian Lewis opened with three songs, most notably “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” one of Michael Jackson’s most popular songs, arranged by Dallas Burke. The Chaminade Gold Glee Club then took to the risers once again after the Jazz Band finished their performance and sent their beautiful combination of baritone, tenor, and alto voices to the audience. In addition to the music from The Lion King performed at the school concert days before, the Gold Glee Club presented, among other songs, “Lullabye,” a work by Billy Joel that all parents would be sure to recognize.
After a brief intermission, select members of the Gold Glee Club returned to the base of the risers to represent the Vocal Chamber Ensemble. These men yet again performed songs such as “Bohemian Rhapsody,” with the same enthusiasm and skill as earlier. Rounding out the concert, the Gold Band directed by Mr. Brian Lewis took its chairs on stage to perform four last songs for its audience. Arguably the highlight of the entire musical program, the finale of the concert came when the Gold Band presented “Sir Duke” featuring every senior band member with a solo.
This great performance gave a spotlight to the many talented musicians who work hard every school day to perfect their craft. While the Class of 2017’s musicians may be departing, this final show stands as a testament to their four years of dedication and practice, and leaves plenty of reason to believe that the younger members of these groups will be able to fill their talented shoes.
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