NORWICH – The Norwich High School Music Department will hold its second Spring Concert at 7 tonight in the high school auditorium.
The concert will kick-off with a trio of Chamber Ensemble performances, featuring percussion, saxophone and clarinet, led by Director Lansing Dimon. Other performances will include the NHS Jazz Ensemble – also under the direction of Dimon – the Treble Choir and Madrigal Singers, under Choir Director Mary Mayo, the String and Wind Ensembles, led by Director Mark Sands and Dimon respectively, and the Mixed and Combined Choirs, under Mayo.
According to Dimon, the Chamber Ensemble performances will include the Brahms-penned “Hungarian Dance No. 5,” Ronald Caravan’s “Intrada” and Mozart’s “Rondo from Divertimento IV.”
The Jazz Ensemble program will be announced prior to its performance, he added.
The Treble Choir – accompanied by pianist Jason Handy and bassist Jacob Misch – will perform the classic “Dream a Little Dream of Me,” said Mayo, followed by the Madrigal Singers’ rendition of Mozart’s “Requiem Aeternam,” with pianist Susan Ticknor accompanying.
Just last week, the Madrigal Singers performed at the annual New York State School Music Association Adjudication, reported Mayo, performing at the highest level possible and receiving a gold rating, with distinction.
“They really, really did an outstanding job, performing at the most difficult level, and they received high praise,” said Mayo. “You just can’t get any better than that.”
The school’s orchestra also participated in last week’s NYSSMA Adjudication, performing a level four piece and receiving a gold rating as well, she added.
The String Ensemble will perform pair of selections – Brahms’ “Hungarian Dance #6” and “Air and Hornpipe,” from Water Music, a collection of orchestral movements composed by George Frideric Handel.
According to Dimon, tonight’s Wind Ensemble set will feature something new, a pair of premiere performances – “Le Sons des Champs” and “Passion” – composed and conducted by NHS students Thomas Whitney and Bonnie Mason.
“I really like to arrange and compose music, and I’m excited for the experience of conducting as well,” said Whitney, a sophomore. “This was a huge composition to start, so I had to change a lot of it to fit the concert instruments. I had a lot of help from Mr. Dimon.”
Mason – who said she’s “a little sad” for her last concert at NHS – began composing “Passion” at the start of the school year and recently completed the piece.
“It’s grown a lot from my original idea, but I’m happy with how it came out,” added the NHS senior. “It was definitely a challenge writing for the instruments I wasn’t familiar with, but it will be nice to show-off one of my pieces.”
The Wind Ensemble will also perform Ron Nelson’s “Courtly Airs and Dances,” stated Dimon, followed by the Mixed Choir’s renditions of Andre Thomas’s “My Good Lord’s Done Been Here” and William Dawson’s “Ezekiel Saw De Wheel.”
As has become a school tradition over the years, the Combined Choirs will take to the stage for the concert’s final performance, singing the gospel classic “River in Judea,” according to Mayo, and alumni of the NHS music program are welcome to join the Combined Choir for the selection.
The NHS Music Department will also recognize the 23 seniors who will be performing in their last spring concert, she added.
Senior Shannon Richards said she’s excited to perform, but admitted it feels strange to take the stage for the last time.
“It’s been really exciting and it’s awesome knowing we have one of the best music programs here,” she added. “It’s like a family and it’s been a really good experience.”
The spring concert is free and open to the public.