Hallelujah

What a pleasure to attend the high school winter concert last night. This was our first experience since Son #1 is a freshman. I had gotten to know some of the music teachers already, from band camp, and was further impressed by what I saw and heard. The orchestra, symphonic band, wind ensemble, women's chorus, and mixed chorus directors seem to be a cohesive team who support one another's endeavors. What a great message for the kids to take away, and what a great experience for all of us who get to participate.

The orchestra leader put on a light show to accompany their rendition of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra's "Wizards in Winter" but acknowledged the help of his colleagues in pulling it all together (this being only his second year in the school). The women's chorus leader is also the accompanist for the mixed chorus. The wind ensemble accompanied the mixed chorus for two of the selections, the second being the evening's finale. For that, the women's chorus joined them as well.

The finale, which is performed every year at the winter concert, was the Hallelujah Chorus. Picture about 150 students on the risers, wearing their choral robes, and the wind ensemble (about 70 musicians) in back of them. The conductor asks all alumni, and anyone else in the audience who'd like to join in, to join them on the risers (and we're now spilling onto the floor in front of the piano and onto the stage with the wind ensemble). If that weren't enough, the conductor asks the principal and assistant principal to come up, as well as the superintendent of schools. The district fine arts director went up too, sheet music in hand. Big entertainment value there, of course -- but they really did go up and sing.

The result: a musical triumph, plus that intangible warm fuzzy feeling. Boy am I glad that all three kids are in the music program. I want them all to experience this...and I want to keep experiencing it myself for the next eight years until Son #3 graduates!