On the first day of October, choir students — ranging from sixth grade to seniors — headed home quickly to change into their concert clothes and then headed to Kinsmen Church, a venue which has hosted Northland Choir programs for years. However, this year marks the start of new leadership: Mrs. Bowles, a Louisiana State graduate. Many of the choir students are in the fall musical Annie, as well.
During the concert, many students sang solos to accompany the main group. Of the sixth graders, Quinton McCaskill gave a solo, and interestingly enough, he is also in the fall musical. This goes to show the talent and abilities the group in choir has, and how they are able to transfer their talents across multiple groups and shows.
Last Wednesday, October 9th, choir joint-performed with orchestra to create a beautiful sound in the gym. The groups performed separate pieces then sang and played together in the finale, and afterward, teachers and students were raving about the performance, stating they felt an emotional connection to the music played.
Finley Donaho, a member of the middle school choir, also plays Annie in the musical, Annie. She has had a wonderful experience in both theater and choir, but today she focuses on her participation in choir. Her interview transcript follows:
Q: How have things changed with a new teacher?
A: I feel like the overall energy of the whole choir has changed, and I feel like we have grown on our knowledge through both teachers because each teacher emphasized different things.
Q: Do you enjoy the venue the choir performs at?
A: Yes, I enjoy the venue we perform at for choir concerts because the acoustics are great and I like performing in a church.
Q: What is your favorite song your choir sang at the concert and at chapel?
A: Steel Away because it is a piece where we can perform acappella, and it is a very diverse piece and you can mess with the dynamics and change the whole meaning of the song.
The duality and ability of the musical students at Northland goes to show how dedicated all of the Fine Arts teachers are and how prepared the students are as a result of the hard work of the teachers.
