The Seymour St. John Chapel rung with enthusiasm and excitement this past Friday, May 6, as the Student Choral Concert began and crowds of people swarmed to watch the culmination of hard work from Choate’s young vocalists in their breathtaking performance of “Spirit Animals.”
Ms. Alysoun Kegel, the Choral Director, conducted the concert. She said, “I am very emotionally present and connected to the music when I am conducting. I am often touched by my students, and sometimes it puts me in a vulnerable state, but at the same time seeing all their hard work rejuvenates me and keeps me going.” Kalya Yannatos, the Director of the Arts noted the concert was, “exciting, wonderful, and extremely ambitious.” She adds, “The choir is growing under the fine leadership of Ms. Alysoun Kegel. She has raised the bar, expanded music literacy, and produced a strong and clear sound.”
The opening song of the concert was titled “Set Me A Seal Upon Thine Heart”, which is the Song of Solomon in Hebrew Poetry. Chamber Chorus performed this piece, featuring solos from Max Patel ’19 and Boluwatife Oluwo ’16.
Regarding the significance of his performance, Patel says, “It was incredible to have a solo in that song because it meant a lot to me; it was the last song I sang in choir with my best friend before he passed away.” He admits, “I felt stellar, I felt like a stellar lad.” Ms. Kegel greatly praises Patel, claiming, “ ‘Set Me a Seal Upon Thine Heart’ is a piece that expresses the power of love, but at the same time a great amount of grief. It is incredible to see a freshmen being able to convey such complexity.”
Oluwo, who performed with Patel, opened the concert with a solo of her own. She says, “I did not really allow myself to think about opening the last chorus concert of my Choate career. I went through stages of wanting to postpone it to not wanting it to happen. I did not want to think of it being my last concert here. Everything went by so fast because of this.”
The concert was a culmination of no less than a year’s worth of work. Festival Chorus’s song, “Towards the Unknown Region,” has been in the works since the beginning of spring term. Other Chamber Chorus pieces have been practiced since winter term. The pieces performed require the mastery of skills learnt since the beginning of the year.
The longest piece in the Student Choral Concert was titled “Rejoice in the Lamb.” The piece is based on a poem written by Christopher Smart while he was committed in a mental institution and put into a song by Benjamin Britten. Ms. Kegel remarks, “The piece invites people in, just like the way the poet invites animals and biblical figures to take part in his prayer. It connects people; it is as if we all engage in a type of presence across space and time. The piece incorporates imprisonment and persecution, which connects to people who have had a hard time. It appeals to both peace and conflict in the soul.” Chorus did exactly this — distinguish individuals, but join them in a communion of artistic form.
“Rejoice in the Lamb” featured solos from Lilian Kops ’18, Simone Wolynski ’16, Scott Romeyn ’18, Kwabena Ayim-Aboagye ’16, and was accompanied by Weston Jennings, who played the organ. Romeyn states, “I greatly enjoyed singing this piece. Sometimes I start out a little hesitant about the songs, but they always grow on me. By the time we are ready to perform, I feel an emotional connection to the music.” Kops agrees, saying “It’s always fun to sing in chorus. We are like a family — we all develop great friendships. That just adds to the outcome and emotional representation of the music.”
The Student Choral Concert was yet another prominent music event worth attending. As Kalya Yannatos puts it, “Not one concert is ever the same. Every time a new repertoire is added to a performance, it becomes unique and refreshing.” Every member of the chorus indeed exhibited his or her inner “Spirit Animal,” and the performance was thus as lively and vivacious as the title foreshadowed.
