By FRANKLIN DUFFY
Staff Writer
Under the direction of choir teacher Justin Olvey (Visual and Performing Arts Dept.), the UHS Choir Program kicked off the year with its Fall Concert. The performers were Concert Chorale, Canta Bella, Madrigals, Undertones, and Footnotes.
The concert began with the new choir class added this year, Canta Bella, an all-girls chorus, who performed “Come in from the Firefly Darkness” as well as three other songs by various composers.
Canta Bella was created to explore musical opportunities by balancing the number of boys and girls in other choirs.
Shortly thereafter, Anita Garg (Jr.) performed “Voi Che Sapete,” singing with the program’s new accompanist, Aaron Ramirez (Visual and Performing Arts Dept.).
Afterward, Undertones, one of the two student-run a cappella groups, performed “Lux Arumque,” a slow, soft song in which they floated their voices together to create amazing harmonies.
“Getting to show such emotion throughout a song is such an amazing thing,” said Shaden Ahadi (Jr.), one of the leaders of Undertones. “There are so many complicated details we have to fit into a piece with very powerful emotions.”
Concert Chorale displayed its ability to blend by performing “Durme, Durme,” a song that began softly but gradually progressed to a much louder volume with members skillfully working together to create a beautiful crescendo.
“It’s a very sad song,” said Minu Choi (Jr.). “It has a lot of feeling in it that you’re really aware of when you’re singing it.”
After the intermission, Corinne Alsop (Sr.) took the stage to perform “Come All Ye Fair and Tender Ladies.” She accompanied herself on the guitar, adding to the already lively song.
Next, the second student-run a cappella group, Footnotes, began its performance of “Amazing Grace,” a variation led by Alsop and Vani Dewan (Sr.) that focused heavily on the sopranos and tenors.
The final choir to perform was the Madrigals. The Madrigals began with the very solemn and monastic “O Magnum Mysterium” and ended with “Daemon Irrepit Callidus,” which was an especially difficult piece that the Madrigals worked on in their spare time.
Many new members in this year’s Madrigals were added from Rancho San Joaquin Middle School’s Choir.
“I was really nervous to start my first concert in Madrigals,” said Andrew Yoon (Fr.). “I thought ‘Daemon’ sounded the best it ever has.”
The next performance by the UHS Choir Program will be the Winter Concert on December 8.
