Despite the lack of snow on the ground, the St. Clair Concert Band and Choir were able to put on some wintery cheer as they performed their winter concert programs on Friday, February 23. The two directors, Rebecca Carpenter and Laurie Thorstad, noted that their inspiration for the program was in observance of a national initiative in music departments called “Music in Our Schools” month. Carpenter played an iconic fanfare by legendary composer John Philip Sousa as an ode to the month, while Thorstad directed a women’s ensemble of “Thank You for the Music” from Mamma Mia as her tribute.
In addition to the wintery theme of the concert, the Band and Choir also highlighted some superb musicians and vocalists as they prepare for the upcoming MSHSL Solo/Ensemble Contest on March 4 at MSU. More on that on another page in the Journal…somewhere.
Carpenter and Thorstad started rehearsals for the winter concert as well as the contest soon after the holiday break. The Band especially stepped up the difficulty of their performance as the piece “Joy in All Things” has a Grade 4 rating (out of 6). Carpenter explained the song is “one of my favorites to do, and it was a great accomplishment for these student musicians to perform this.” Thorstad’s program consisted of a variety of music that has been a mainstay since her time as Director. Ironically, she had a song called “Blizzard” as the program’s opener, but she mentioned to the audience that she couldn’t believe “that this winter would be blizzard-free?” The St. Clair Choir also featured a men’s choir that sang a jaunty sea shanty to tap your foot to named “Rueben Ranzo”.
The Band led by Carpenter began the show with “Joy in All Things,” and the opening introduced fluttering clarinets and later showcased two flute soloists – Bergan Loeffler and Janessa Carstensen – that turned into a brief duet. Next, a jazzy swing piece, “Blue Tango,” surely got my foot tapping as the music sounded reminiscent of a classic Disney movie scene. Lastly, the band played the ode to John Philip Sousa with “Liberty Bell,” featuring classical American sounds like flutes, piccolos, brass, and a lot more brass. There was a steady control with the brass section as many in the audience tapped their foot as Carpenter had noted before the performance that “Sousa might be familiar with a lot of people in this audience.” Miss a good Sousa.
The concert shifted to showcasing the solos/ensemble pieces to be performed on March 4 at MSU. A saxophone ensemble played a peaceful rendition of “Third Movement” that featured some extremely low notes from its baritone saxophone. William Wellman performed an enchanting solo in “Caro mio ben.” Wellman sang the Italian aria well and his booming voice commanded the room with a final long-building note capping off a great performance. Next, Lincoln Froehlich played a beautiful rendition of “Concert No. 2” that showcased his level of focus and commitment to the violin. The violin is such an elegant instrument that to see it played so masterfully by someone so young was a real treat to witness. Froehlich is a part of an orchestra in Mankato and several St. Clair musicians also play there. Ana Ordaz performed an enchanting Mezzo Soprano solo with “The Water is Wide” and Ordaz showed great technical ability in both her lower and upper registers–she also handled the key change well. The last contest performance consisted of a brass ensemble providing a booming end to the showcase with “Prelude and Caprice.” The trombones were a boisterous mainstay of the performance and accompanied the trumpets in a call and response.
The Choir took the stage as they sang the ironic at the timepiece “Blizzard” with Henry Topp accompanying on the piano. The Men’s Choir sang their sea shanty “Rueben Ranzo” and featured a unique accompaniment by Loeffler, who played the piccolo while the choir whistled the same tune–it made for a cool effect. Next, anyone familiar with the show Outlander could recognize the next song, “Skye Boat Song,” which featured a duet by Ordaz and Grace Freitag. Lastly, the women’s choir performed “Thank You for the Music” to end the concert and tease the upcoming production of Mamma Mia!
Both departments have grown significantly in the past two years since Thorstad and Carpenter became its directors. The evening’s concert tested many of its students with difficult pieces, but their incredible performances speak to an appreciation that only comes from having directors passionate about making music worth tapping your foot to.
