By Armita Rohani
With the school year already well underway, East is drawing near the fall concert season. After more than two months of hard work and preparation, the chorus groups performed on October 19th in the auditorium at 7 pm, starting off the 2022-2023 concert season. Students and teachers displayed a breathtaking performance, brimming with different moods, tensions, and emotions that defined the energy of the room. Led by Ms. Maureen Reilly and Ms. Ellen Aroune, East’s new music theory teacher and women’s chorus director, it is safe to say that this concert was a definite success.
Women’s chorus started the night by singing “O Lux Beatissima” composed by Mark Patterson and “A Wink and a Smile” arranged by S. Zegree. After meeting every day at second period for the last two months, 25 talented students got to showcase their skills and their passion for music: “I feel proud of myself when I sing,” says one chorus member, “We all sound so good and everyone has worked really hard.”
Mixed chorus then took the reins and performed “Once Upon a Dream, Someone Like You, No One Knows Who I Am” in “The Highlights from Jekyll and Hyde,” as well as “Go Down, Moses.” which included a solo performed by Shaun Kolnacki. After which, Vocal Jazz sang “I Put a Spell on You” from Hocus Pocus, getting everyone ready for the Halloween spirit. East is proud to say that our four soloists, Anna Santoro, Parker Levin, Miles Seifert, and Ayden Weinstein performed flawlessly and gave goosebumps to the audience. “Vocal jazz’s performance was a big win, they were incredible!”
The concert concluded with Chorale, who sang “Danny Boy” and “Dies Irae” from “Requiem.” 55 brilliant students performed in an unparalleled, sensational finale. “Dies Irae completely shocked the audience, it was so wonderfully performed and the energy the song gave off, the performers themselves gave off, was unprecedented and amazing.” says a member of the audience.
Two months of work and seven songs later, it is safe to say that these chorus groups worked so incredibly hard, and East can not wait to see their performances again. Faces both new and old showed up to this performance and left feeling satisfied and amazed. “I thought it was excellent; it was good to see new faces and hear familiar pieces,” says one of East’s graduate students. “I thought all of the choruses performed great, Ms. Aroune did fabulously on the piano, and Ms. Rielly did an amazing job preparing her students.” While the success of this concert is not a surprise, the adrenaline, excitement, and efforts of the performers must be acknowledged. “I love the energy of the music wing before the concert; the adrenaline is very real!” says a chorale member. Spending hours of their time preparing for this concert every week, dodging between going to orchestra or band while doing chorale, perfecting sheet music and getting physically and mentally ready to perform in front of dozens requires time and energy. These students have earned every applause from the audience that night, and East is proud to have such a talented group of individuals that collectively make up our chorus department.
Special acknowledgements towards our chorale officers, Carmen Lee-Bennett, Parker Levin, Gia Panesar, Leah Polk, and Jack Romanowski, for all that you do. Congratulations to the soloists, Shaun Kolnacki, Anna Santoro, Parker Levin, Miles Seifert, and Ayden Weinstein for their astounding dedication and courage. To Ms. Maureen Reilly, we hope that your last fall concert was memorable, and to Ms. Ellen Aroune, thank you for all of the support that you give to your students, and for all that you do for East’s music department. Thank you to East’s faculty and staff, including principal Mr. Brian Swatland, vice principals Ms. Tricia DeSantis, Ms. Courtney Charleson-Smith, and Mr. Nicholas Suchyna, as well as our custodial staff for making this concert possible. To East’s stage crew, thank you for making this concert run smoothly and efficiently, and to the members of Williamsville Music Boosters, thank you for your continued support of our music department and letting our students express their passions through music.
