Last Blast for the Band, Choir & Orchestra

Integrated into the opening of AISG’s brand new theater, the Spring Fine Arts Week demonstrated our school’s talents in the fine arts. Taking place on May 23rd, the high school concert consisted of performances by the jazz band, the HS String Orchestra, the HS Choir, a solo dance, and HS Concert Band.

Kicking off the concert was the jazz band, directed by Mr. Bott. They performed a medley of tunes consisting of “Work Song”, “London Far East Groove”, “In a Sentimental Mood”, and “Super Mario Medley”. Band members Paraash Manwani, Peter Lee, Roran Lee, Gordon Liang, and Ryan Bott stood up individually to perform solos, while accompanied by the piano, bass guitar, and drums. According to senior and saxophonist Lynn Maekawa, the band felt “honored” to be the “very first group” to perform in the new theater. “No music no life,” declared percussionist Paraash, affirming his love of the drums. Overall, the jazz band’s upbeat tunes and harmonies provided an enjoyable opening for the rest of the night.

Following Jazz Band, String Orchestra (directed by Ms. Lin) performed “An Irish Party from Third Class” from the movie Titanic. In a dramatic opening that caught the audience’s attention, Jazz Band members slowly walked onto stage while playing according to their section. The gradual incorporation of harmonies allowed the audience to recognize the individual parts that contribute to the Orchestra’s complex pieces. They then performed “Gabriel’s Oboe” from the motion picture The Mission, which included an emotive oboe solo by Lynn Maekawa. The String Orchestra also performed “Apotheosis” from the video game “Journey”, “Mist Shrouded Memories”, and “Amadeus!” from Mozart’s Symphony No. 25. Each piece represented a different genre, which provided contrast between the various pieces.

The HS Choir (directed by Mr. Bott) opened with “MLK”. Originally a U2 tribute to Martin Luther King, the Choir’s interpretation of this piece featured a solo by tenor Andy Choi. The piece stood out for its haunting melody and powerful sustained harmonies. “MLK” was followed by “Fight Song” by Rachel Platten, with a solo from alto Maria Elena Little. Next, they performed “The Tortoise and the Hare” and “Mohlang ke kgotlelang hae (When I Return Home)”. The Choir also performed “The Fly Away Medley”, which consisted of five gospel pieces and featured soloists Leah Lee, Kayzad Bharucha, and Becky Renfrow. This was followed by “She Lost My Crossed Heart”, a unique beatboxing piece originally written by electronic musician Shlomo. The Choir had a positive experience performing in the new theater. To quote Leah, the theater will “lead performers towards new opportunities to express their unique forms of art.” The HS Choir performance was followed by “Piece by Piece”, a solo dance that was choreographed and performed by Gwen Farm.

HS Band, directed by Mr. Pihowich, performed the final acts of the night. They began with “Into the Storm”, which was originally inspired by a great blizzard in the United States. This was followed by “Undertow”, prominently featuring the percussion section of the band. HS Band then performed “Eiger: Journey to the Summit”, a programmatic piece about a son who climbs the Eiger in the Alps after his father was killed in a previous attempt. After “Eiger”, the Band performed the theme from the film score of How to Train Your Dragon. Overall, the HS Band’s renditions did an excellent job of closing down the night.

The HS Concert was the first official performance in the new theater. Improvements in acoustics made it easier for performers to project their sound, and audience members were able to distinguish between individual parts within each performance. Additionally, audiences sat more comfortably in the theater’s cushy seats than the gym’s hard benches. Overall, the HS Concert was a memorable night for audience members and performers alike.