Blogapalooza 2016 - Day 13: LHS Winter Concert Review

     This evening my brother had his last winter concert as a high school student ... when did we get to be so old?!?!  Winter concerts are both my most and least favorite of the year.  Every year the finale is Ode to Joy.  All of the choirs come together and alumni are invited to join them on stage!  I love being able to be part of a choir again and everyone always gets so excited to sing with their friends.  What I'm not a fan of is all of the holiday music that must be put up with to get to that point.  Mrs. Rikli actually kept it pretty light in that regard this year, which was very nice!  I forgot to bring my paper and pen when I went to stand in the back (the body sprays, colognes, and laundry detergents were not only frying my brain but I felt them making me evil) so I couldn't write down my reviews of each song, but here are my best recollections.

Falcon Phenomenon

Nutcracker Jingles ... Tchaikovsky/James Pierpont, arr. Chuck Bridwell

     A hilarious take on two winter classics.  Jingle Bells words set to Nutcracker tunes are a delightful combination and Phenomenon performed it very well.

Light of a Clear Blue Morning ... Dolly Parton, arr. Craig Hella Johnson

     Sweet and clearly sung.

Volare Blue

Hodie ... Nancy Hill Cobb

     Harmonies were good.

Be Like the Bird ... Abbie Betinis, text by Victor Hugo

     I love the idea of this song.  It sounds like something I would listen to ... if I ignored the first sopranos.  They were pushing too hard and it made it shrill.

Ding! Dong! Merrily on High ... arr. Howard Cable, ed. Henry Leck

     It's a Christmas song.  I blocked it out.

Vocal Attraction

Christmas for Cowboys ... Steve Weisburg

     Cute!  I liked the staging and though the rhythm was off it was sung well.

A-Roving ... sea chantey, arr. Gary E. Parks

     Who doesn't like a sea chantey?  Very traditional.

Kings' Processional ... Debra Morton

     ... work on your rhythm.

Volare Gold

How Can I Keep from Singing ... Robert Lowry, arr. Michael Burkhardt

     I recognize this song from when I was in Treble Choir ... so weird! 

You Cannot Lose My Love ... Sara Groves, arr. Susan LaBarr

     So sweet!  I loved the words!

Jingle Bell Rock ... Joe Beal and Jim Boothe, arr. Alan Billingsley

     I danced.  It was grand.

 

Concert Choir

Carol of the Bells ... Mykola Leontovych arr. Peter Wilhousky

     One of the best live versions I've heard.  The bells were perfectly pianissimo.

Kačena Divoká ... Leoš Janáček

      This was a work in progress but it sounded pretty good anyways.  There were some harmony issues and it was dynamically flat.  Interesting story.

Bíonn Siúlach Scéalach ... Matthew Erpelding

     There is just something about Celtic music that touches me.  I was ready to cry happy tears by the time the second soloist joined in.  The parts of the choir singing the bodhrán were too loud at first but then those singing the lyrics caught up.

     Well done ladies and gents!