On March 7, the JPS Choir program successfully hosted their annual senior scholarship concert, Cafe Night. Cafe Night is a concert hosted to raise scholarship funds for dedicated seniors. It’s a great opportunity for the choir to showcase their new repertoire and give a sneak peek into the larger spring concert set list. In addition to the traditional choir performances, students performed countless senior solos ranging from pop to classical music. 

The night started off with the acapella choir singing “How Can I Cry”, a jazz song about examining one’s own privilege and helping others who are less fortunate. The song was a great opener, drawing the audience in with the bluesy tones and powerful vocal chorus. Next, the choir sang “Grace Before Sleep”, a peaceful song about being grateful for all the things in life that others may not have. Finally, the group stunned the audience with a rendition of the popular song, “Apple Tree” by AURORA. The song was upbeat and catchy with lots of body percussion as well as drums and claps. It truly got the audience excited to hear even more performances from the soloists up next. 

Senior soloists performed a wide range of songs from pop to classical. First up was senior Saturn Sharma playing piano and serenading the audience with her slower take on the popular song, “Valerie” by Mark Ronson and Amy Winehouse. Next was senior Ronit Chakraborty singing “Hey There Delilah” as he strummed a guitar. Following that was senior Kinjal Gadgil singing “At Last” by Etta James, a soulful jazz/R&b song. Then, senior Shraddha Rahul performed a serene rendition of “Misty” by Errol Garner and Johnny Burke. Finally, the Perfect 5ths, an acapella group of five seniors: Ananya Gunda, Murchonna Dasgupta, Kinjal Gadgil, Shraddha Rahul, and Nathaniel Williams, performing “Take Me To Church” by Hozier. It was a moving performance, and they did a spectacular job. Following the soloists were the chamber choir, performing 4 songs. They started off with “Turing Believes Machines Think”, an impactful piece about computer scientist Alan Turing who was persecuted for his sexuality. They then performed a group of songs by the Grammy-winning composer Eric Whitacre. First was “Lux Aurumque”, a smooth, beautiful song in Latin — one of Whitacre’s most famous songs. Next was “Sing Gently”, another serene song about the joy that singing can bring and the community that one can gain. The last song was “The Seal Lullaby”, a delicate song that left the audience in peace and quiet, ready for the next round of soloists. 

The last batch of senior soloists for the night—Tulip Ghosh, Murchonna Dasgupta, Aishah Mansuri, Nehan Degala, Casey Decker, and Varsha Akavoor—performed a diverse set of songs such as “Trust in Me” by Etta James and even “Home” from Beauty and the Beast. Finally, the concert choir took the stage with 3 songs including “Lovely Day” by Bill Withers, “Famine Song”, and “Draw the Circle Wide”. This final group worked to bring the audience closer together and concluded the event with peace and harmony. 

The concert was a huge success and the choir program raised enough money to give scholarships to various deserving students. The audience connected to the music and was able to enjoy the concert repertoire with both familiar and unique songs. The choir truly performed to the best of their ability and the night successfully showcased the JPS Choir.