Music soared through the air as Miramonte hosted its anticipated Fall Music Concert this past Thursday, Oct. 10. Directed by music teacher Carl Oser, the night began with a guest performance from Orinda Intermediate School; was followed by Miramonte’s concert choir, musical theatre, chamber singers, and jazz band; and ended with a combined ensemble between the two schools.
OIS:
Opening the concert, the OIS choir delivered a set of three songs: “Unwritten” by Natasha Beddingfield, “Dust in the Wind” by Kerry Livgren, and “High Hopes” by Panic at the Disco.
“My favorite song to perform was the song “High Hopes” by Panic at the Disco [that the OIS Choir] sung together at the end. It was a lot of fun, and it turned out really good,” OIS choir member Emma Logan said.
Concert Choir:
Following OIS, Miramonte’s concert choir performed “I Love the Mountains,” “Bring me A Little Water, Sylvie” by Huddie Ledbetter and Moira Smiley, and finished their performance with “Ikan Kekek,” a Malay folk song.
“The performance went great. We did very well on our songs, personally my favorite was ‘Ikan Kekek’ because it was very unique,” junior and choir member Nico Burgoyne said.
Musical Theatre:
Following the Concert Choir, a small ensemble performed “Magic to Do,” a song from the musical “Pippin” by Bob Fosse and Roger O. Hirson with music by Stephen Schwartz. The performance served as a preview for the school’s upcoming musical, which is yet to be officially announced.
Chamber Choir:
The chamber choir finished the night with their performances of “No Time,” a traditional camp meeting song by Susan Brumfield, “They Are Mother” by Jenifer Lucy Cook—a student favorite—and “Apple Tree” by Aurora Aksnes and Katerina Gimon.
“My favorite piece to perform was ‘They Are Mother’ because it wasn’t your typical choir song. It was unique and super fun to sing,” sophomore and chamber choir singer Mia Cortesio said.
Jazz Band:
Jazz Band captivated the audience with their energetic and skillful performances. They opened with “A Night in Tunisia,” a Dizzy Gillespie classic arranged by Michael Sweeney. The band then transitioned into Charlie Parker’s “Yardbird Suite,” another Sweeney arrangement, and closed with the modern piece “Shofukan” by Michael League.
“I enjoyed playing ‘Shofukan’ because the parts all mesh together in a really fun way,” sophomore and jazz band member Sean Gupta said.
Combined Ensembles:
To finish off the night, the concert featured a stunning combined ensemble of Dolly Parton’s “Light of A Clear Blue Morning,” arranged by Craig Hella Johnson. This final song brought together the OIS choir and Miramonte’s concert choir, musical theatre, and chamber choir.
“My favorite song to perform was the song at the end with Miramonte because we were all singing together,” Logan said.
To cap off the night, the song included solos from Chloe Lu, Lila Weis, and Cortesio.
The Fall Music Concert marked a great start for Miramonte’s performing arts, with each group delivering expertly executed performances. The Winter Concert is on Thursday, Dec. 5th, and the musical theatre has the Broadway Showcase on Friday, Dec. 13.
“All of us are currently working on new, exciting material for everyone to see,” Cortesio said.
The Mirador reached out to Carl Oser but did not receive a response.
