Our 2023 Spring Concert—held on Thursday, April 20 in the Bryan Jones Theatre—was a magnificent display of student talent. The program showcases a wide range of music genres, including classical, jazz, pop, and even a sea shanty!
The concert began with Demi ’26, who performed Nocturne, Op. 9, No. 2 by Frederick Chopin, setting a serene tone. The Concert Band and String Ensemble then took the stage together to perform Great Movie Adventures, arranged by Michael Sweeney, which featured popular movie soundtracks composed by John Williams.
The Concert Band then continued with a vibrant rendition of Clocks by Coldplay, arranged by James Kazik. Devon ’23’s performance of In Dreams from Lord of the Rings, featuring music by Roy Orbison, Howard Shore, and Fran Walsh, was mesmerizing and transported the audience into a different world.
Ivy ’24 then performed Ease My Mind by Ben Platt, showcasing her vocal prowess, followed by Paula ’24’s unique rendition of Cello Suite No. 1 by J.S. Bach transcribed for Marimba.
The Lorelei Consort then took the stage and performed a medley of songs, including Wellerman, a traditional New Zealand sea shanty arranged by Jake Alexander, and This Is Me from The Greatest Showman by Benj Pasek & Justin Paul. Suri ’25 and Aniece ’25’s duet of I See the Light from Tangled by Alan Menken & Glenn Slater was beautiful. And Claire ’24’s performance of Arctic Voices by Susan Grisdale, accompanied by a stunning visual display, was powerful and haunting. The Piano Man—a crowd favourite—was played by Harrison ’25, Louisa ’25, Lilly ’25, and Audrey ’25, with Louisa making the audience laugh as she raised and lowered the harmonica for Lilly throughout the performance.
The String Ensemble performed two beautiful pieces, including Por Una Cabeza by Carlos Gardel and Summer from The Four Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi. Joyce ’23’s rendition of Blue and White Porcelain (Qinghua Ci) by Jay Chou was a unique and beautiful fusion of traditional Chinese music and modern pop.
Veda ’26’s performance of Shooting Stars in Summer by Naoko Ikeda was both delicate and powerful, showcasing her musical talent. The LAKeffect Jazz Ensemble then took the stage and performed Blue Bossa by Kenny Dorham and Blues in the Closet by Oscar Pettiford, arranged by Michael Sweeney & Paul Murtha.
Harper ’25 and Micaiah ’25 then performed Wondering by Olivia Rodrigo & Julia Lester, showcasing their beautiful voices and harmonies, much to the delight of the audience.
The concert ended with a high-energy performance of Just the Two of Us, performed by Alex ’24, Jacob ’24, Anthony ’24, Mr. John Braeckman, Jane ’24, and Efe ’23.
Finally, the Rock Choir performed Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Queen and Learn to Fly by Foo Fighters, leaving the audience dancing and singing along. As the choir began to disassemble their seating, the audience requested a performance of A-OK and the Rock Choir delivered a spontaneous and spirited performance of the song to everyone’s delight.
The spring concert was a beautiful showcase of our talented students and their love for music. Each performance was unique and beautiful in its own way, showcasing the vast array of musical talent at our school. Congratulations to all the performers and everyone involved in putting together such a memorable evening of music!