This past Friday night, students, faculty, parents, and members of the greater Wallingford community alike gathered in the Seymour St. John Chapel for the performance of a section of Felix Mendelssohn’s 172-year-old oratorio, Elijah. The performance was conducted by Ms. Alysoun Kegel, Choate’s Choral Director, accompanied by Ms. Sara Kohane, a Choate piano instructor, and delivered by the members of Choate’s Festival Chorus, as well as three special guests. It was a big hit, with the final number receiving a standing ovation.
A culmination of a year’s work by Festival Chorus, the performance served as the group’s annual spring concert. The success achieved was the result of hard work and dedication. Preparations for Elijah began immediately after “Lessons and Carols” in December. This meant several hours of weekly rehearsal, with listening assignments to become more familiar with the music. Repetition was crucial in the process, as the piece is long and was being prepared over an extensive period of time. On the process Elise Hummel ’18, a four-year member of Festival Chorus and representative, said, “The piece was very long, and there were times when it was tough to stay focused.”
Nonetheless, the Festival Chorus couldn’t have been more elegant in their showing. They were graceful and professional, as usual, but this year’s performance included a special treat –– the current Choate students worked alongside seasoned alumni, Katherine Li ’17, Charles Colotta ’13, and Kurt Loft Willett ’81. Though the alumni and students met only the day before performing together, the connection was clearly a defining factor in the triumph of the rendition. This was not the first time alumnus and current students have worked together, but as Ms. Kalya Yannatos, the Director of the Arts Department, noted, “This year’s show was extra special!”
The students and alumni performed the first half of the oratorio: the story of the Old Testament and the Biblical prophet Elijah. Kurt Willett ’81 eloquently embodied the latter. There were five other distinct characters, four of which were sung by Choate students. All could agree that the soloists, both students and professionals, were exceptional. Maria Ma ’19, a two-year Festival Chorus member, and Elsa Rose Farnam ’18, who sat in the audience, had similar feelings of awe. Farnam said, “Their voices were so clear, they were almost like instruments.”
The performance was an obvious success, exceeding the expectations of many. Ms. Kegel and her students never fail to put on a show nothing short of a true artistic endeavor. So, with such avid appreciation from the audience, can we expect more collaborations between the students of Choate past and present? Ms. Yannatos says, “Yes, please! There is so much richness to be attained through multigenerational collaborations and opportunities to learn from one another. This concert beautifully exemplified that, and so much more. It was a magnificent moment of art and spirit — delivered to us all through the hard work and conviction of Choate’s choruses, under the care and direction of Ms. Kegel.”
