On Thursday, May 14, the JP Stevens Choir held its annual Spring Concert, organized by directors, Mr. Lee and Ms. McElroy. The concert featured all of the choir classes, as well as some ensembles. This was a moment when the students were able to show their months of preparation after their previous Winter Concert in December.
The night started off with the popular and poignant rendition of the song, “What Was I Made For?” by Billie Eilish, by the Concert Orchestra. Afterwards, they quickly shifted styles with “Temporal” by Suzette Ortiz and Diana Saez, featuring Mr. Jack Marcus on percussion. A traditional Puerto Rican plena, the song symbolizes the beautiful resistance of the Puerto Rican people due to the frequent hurricanes that come on the island. To match the song’s vibrant energy, the choir swayed to the beat.
Then, the Tenor-Bass Choir took the stage with “Umi Sono Ai” by Kousaku Dan, a Japanese song, telling the story about a man who goes to the ocean to reflect on his life, reassuring the audience that there are brighter days ahead. An English portion was also embedded, helping the audience to further connect with and understand the message. Contrasting the previous song’s aura, they sang “Ragnarok” by Randall Johnson, which was a dark, enigmatic, and spooky piece, featuring Ms. Justine Langman on the piano.
Going into a quieter mood, the Treble Choir performed “Muusika” by Pärt Uusberg, which was a poignant and melancholy piece. They then brought back the energy with “Fídia kai Pétra”, by Kara Stacy Bowell, which tells the Greek myth of Medusa from her own perspective. The mystery and emotional depth of the story was perfectly encapsulated by the choir’s rendition, as it was easy to visualize the events unfolding.
The Chamber Choir maintained the mysterious atmosphere with “The Word Was God” by Rosephanye Powell. However, it was brighter, more upbeat, and enchanting than the previous piece. “There Will Come Soft Rains” by Ivo Antognini followed, which was a beautiful and uplifting song that felt ethereal, partly because there were sections that had some whistling and others, whispering. Afterwards, they sang “Kasar Mie La Gaji” by Alberto Grau, which was a mysterious, upbeat, and technically difficult song. It also had different sections saying “kasar…” in the background.
After a brief intermission, the JPS Harmonix sang “Limbo” by Lawrence, and arranged by Angelina Francese and Karaline Rosen. It was groovy, featuring scatting, clapping, as well as beatboxing. Next, they sang an inspiring and majestic arrangement by Shams Ahmed of “Stay Away” by MUNA. They ended their section with “Little Blue” by Jacob Collier, arranged by Ben Bram. It was jazzy and included alternating solos, as well as snapping at the end.
The A cappella followed with “By Night” by Elaine Hagenberg, which was enthralling and had a glorious atmosphere, which escalated into a grand ending. Once again, Ms. Justine Langman was on the piano, and Mr. Jack Marcus was on percussion. After, they sang “The Unexpected Early Hour” by Reena Esmail, which was a short, moving, and adventurous piece. Finally, they sang “Total Praise” by Richard Smallwood, arranged by Dorren Rao with Ms. Justine Langman, Mr. Jack Marcus, and Mr. Lee on the electric guitar. The song was a soft rock gospel song, which was mellow, yet moving.
Before it went back to the Concert Choir, a moment was taken to thank everyone involved in this amazing production, such as the directors, Choir Council, Choir Parents Association, Board of Education, guest musicians, as well as the students and audience. “We are so lucky to have them as our students. They look after each other, they look after us, and they make us happy to wake up in the morning to see them smiling every day,” said Mr. Lee.
The concert resumed with “United in Purpose” by Rollo Dilworth, sung by the Concert Choir. The lyrics of the piece originate from Maya Angelou’s biography, Rainbow in the Cloud: The Wisdom and Spirit of Maya Angelou, which called for society to be united with one another, to solve societal issues, and bring good to the world. The message was clear, providing the audience with the idea of a possible utopia, as long as they enabled it to happen. Finally, the concert ended with “The Lord Bless You and Keep You”, by Pete Lutkin, where the alumni in the audience, as well as the pianist, were invited to sing along on stage. The brief, yet touching finale brought the night to an end, where many in the audience were prompted to reflect, and others gave their compliments to the directors as well as some of the singers that visibly did the best they could.
After the concert, Sanvi Kothapalli said, “It was inspiring to finally see everyone’s hard work come to life. The concert turned out better than I could have imagined.”
By and large, the concert reflected the talent, dedication, and passion of everyone involved. The flawless execution of such diverse repertoire exemplified the hard work and collaboration needed to bring notes on a piece of sheet music to life on stage.
