The November 8th Sacred Concert, put on every year by the choir, and this year accompanied by the orchestra, is a concert in which students and families can praise God through voices and various instruments. In accordance with this year’s theme of meditation on scripture, every song was picked with scripture verses in mind.
Mrs. Beth Wolfe, Strings Teacher, explained, “Music is a God-given gift, and a gift we should give away in the spirit of healing the world. When you play good music that has a sacred base, you get in touch with the creative energy of God.”
For many, the sacred concert is a chance to take a break from the busyness of their everyday life, and dedicate a moment to be grateful for what God has given us. Ms. Kelsey Wessels, Upper and Middle School choir teacher, said, “The sacred concert is special because it is not only a chance to celebrate the music God has given us, but to also celebrate Him.”
When it came to the choir and orchestra performing together, both Wolfe and Wessels loved that they had the opportunity to do so.
“One of the positive aspects of playing together,” said Wolfe, “is that we can learn a lot from each other. The orchestra can learn how singers emote from their music, and the choir can learn from us about precision and what it takes to play together on a string instrument.”
Having both the choir and orchestra play together was not only a special experience for these teachers, but also a great moment for the students.
Nathan Ward, ‘24, a choir student, commented, “It was a really neat experience because it created a strong sound that was beautiful.”
Additionally, strings student Alyssa Condon, ‘23, enjoyed both playing with the choir and having the audience sing along.
Some highlights from the sacred concert were when the choir performed, ”Look at the World” by John Rutter, and when the orchestra played “Fantasia” by Tomas Tallis. In addition to this, there was a beautiful piece sung by the choir while two violinists played along.
Wessels reflected, “The song ‘My Shepherd Will Supply My Need’ had a six part vocal split, so when the string soloists played at the same time the choir sang, it held together fantastically.”
Following the concert, Wessels and Wolfe felt incredibly proud of their students, due to their hard work paying off.
Wolfe commented, “Every concert is a surprise and every concert gives more than I thought it would. The choir and orchestra did so many things well that it’s a good base to have as our main goal and as a measuring stick for future concerts.”
The Sacred Concert was a great experience for both the choir and orchestra, and they look forward to doing it again in years to come.