The Spring 2024 choir concer
The Houseboat Harmonies performing their rendition of "Drive My Car" by The Beatles (Photo: Alexa Rios, The Puma Prensa)
By Natalia Woods, staff writer
Dazzling, nostalgic, humorous, moving– the 2024 Spring choir concert had it all this year.
With this being the last choir concert of the year, the show opened with a ceremony celebrating the students in choir graduating this year. The seniors were given corsages and presented with a slideshow, making it an extremely bittersweet beginning to the night.
The concert began with the treble choir, which is generally the higher-pitched style of singing. Their first piece titled “Remember My Song” was performed with sign language, something I had never witnessed at a choir concert before, and I felt it gave the song a deeper meaning. They also sang “Ahe Lau Makani” as a tribute to the events in Lahaina. Freshman J Stewart Gallard was featured on guitar, skillfully adding depth to the soft song. It was also impressive to see the choir singing in Hawaiian. Sophomore Gabby Rolland explained how “this song represents how singing brings everyone together,” especially by learning to sing in another language. Another memorable moment was their rendition of “The Skye Boat Song”, in which they all used heavy Irish accents when singing, which added an entertaining feel to it. The group ended with a classic, “Dream On” by Aerosmith. The higher-pitched voices brought a nice contrast to the original lower melody of the song.
Next up was the melodious group Houseboat Harmonies. This acapella group had a mix of bass and treble voices, allowing them to sing a diverse range of songs. Junior Meleah Yee, a member of this group, says that choir concerts with this group are so special because “It's fun to make it your own and branch off from the norm.” This group did exactly that; their lively style of singing was refreshing. The highlight of their performance was their version of “Drive My Car” by the Beatles. It was one of the more playful performances of the night, and you could get the feeling that everyone singing it enjoyed the rhythm and the song choice.
After a short intermission, there was a quick transition to a duet between Meleah Yee and Ava Sigala. With Yee on acoustic guitar, the two sang “Keep Me” by Novo Amor, which was incredibly emotional, and though originally sung by just one person, Yee and Sigala turned it into a beautiful duet. Their performance was the night's highlight, with the perfect mix of sorrow and peacefulness that captivated the audience. Yee explained that they chose the song “to pay tribute to someone that has lost someone”, and also thought that “it was a good song for graduating seniors,” describing it as “a bittersweet goodbye.”
The Pink Ladies followed, opening with the classic “On the Sunny Side of the Street” by Frank Sinatra. Their rendition of the song “Golf Cart” especially stood out from the rest; the majority of the song was humming, which was so nostalgic and beautiful. It was extremely impressive that they were able to evoke such intense emotion without lyrics.
The Bass Choir took the stage next with an ambitious start. As they marched through the audience and made their way up the stage, the group sang “Stout Hearted Men” by Sigmund Romberg, completely switching up the mellow, elegant mood of the night thus far. They quickly switched to a melancholy tone with “A Life Well Lived”. This song featured Miles Johnston playing the pennywhistle, which added a very warm, folky touch to the song, and went perfectly with Luca Parks's solo during the song. The group ended on a high note with a crowd favorite, “I Want It That Way” by the Backstreet Boys. The soloist for this song, Owen Brown, put on an amazing performance, and the song was a playful ending to their otherwise serious set, complete with flashy dance moves to go along with it. The night ended with the Chambers singers, who had an interesting choice of songs for their set. They opened with a traditional South African folk song, “Babethandaza.” Junior Tony Li explained that “learning the song was definitely a challenge because not only do you have to sing in a different language, but you have to adapt your tone to the context of the song.” After their set, all the choirs came out to sing the final song of the night, “Go With a Song in Your Heart”. The song was dedicated to the seniors, and it perfectly encapsulated the general emotion of the night. Overall, the concert was an enjoyable experience with a nice mix of genres and songs, making it captivating throughout the two hours. It was definitely on the more bittersweet side because of all the seniors who said goodbye to the program. Senior Marta Leon-Delgado, a member of the choir for the past two years, explained the general sentiment of the night, saying she is “sad to leave behind the friends and community of choir.” Leon-Delgado explained that “The choir program has taught me so many valuable lessons, both in music and in life, and I’ll miss that.” The MCHS choir program is an extremely close-knit community and does a wonderful job crafting together all of its shows, and that was especially evident in the Spring Choir Concert.