First concert of the year gives TJ choirs a good start.
Photo by Carlos Covarrubias
Every year, the TJ Vocal Music Department welcomes fall with open arms and a choir concert. The fall concerts are shorter than the other two concerts of the year, but by no means are they any less fantastic.
This year’s fall concert, however, stood out in a truly spectacular way. The audience was nearly full, and the choirs included several more members than in previous years. The singers were all composed and professional and appeared to never hit a sour note. “I thought they behaved really well,” said Senior Erin Nelson, a member of both Advanced choir and Monticello.
Despite the effortlessness exuded by every choir member, learning the songs actually takes hours upon grueling hours. For the first few months of school, choir members strain their vocal chords learning to hit the right notes, all the while trying to remember the lyrics, which are often in languages other than English. The woman responsible for the enforcement of the hard work as well as the wonderful results is choir teacher Edwina Hebert.
Fellow Spartans and community members were invited to TJ’s auditorium on October 7, for the small fee of $5. The money collected from ticket sales will help pay for the sound system for the next concert, as well as other choir-related monetary necessities.
The first choir on the stage was the Spartanaires: TJ’s Beginning Women’s Choir. The first song they showcased was Pie Jesu, a song that is usually performed by the choir at the end of the year.
Following the girls was the Beginning Men’s Choir, who joined the girls in a rendition of Scarborough Fair and then went on to perform Nina by themselves.
Next up was Advanced choir, who first dazzled the audience by singing Louez Le Seigneur, accompanied by Robert Anderson on the conga. They then gave a rousing performance of Jenny Kiss’d Me that had the entire audience tapping its toes.
Finally, Monticello Singers took their position on the stage. Some members of Monticello were also in Advanced choir, and received this recognition by staying on the stage as the rest of the Advanced choir dispersed into the audience. Monticello first sang Route 66 with solos from Brandon Truesdale, London Thatch, Anna Romero, Brittany Ferguson, Mina Bradley and Taylor Hunter. Then, they launched into the jazz song Brasasia. Accompanying Monticello were Brian Gonzales on the piano, Mark Volling on the drums and Neil Hebbert on the Bass.
After acknowledgements, a few thank you’s and a reminder to attend the other events in the future of TJ Performing Arts from Hebert, the audience was free to go, but many lingered to talk to their vocal stars.
The next performance for TJ Choirs is their Winter Concert. It will be on December 10th, 2009 at 7pm in the auditorium. The concert will feature holiday songs sung by all four choirs as well as a special performance from the TJ Faculty Choir. All of the choirs are currently preparing to blow the audience away.
