Choir shows skill set with annual Serenade Concert

Sophia Comas, Features Editor

The annual Serenade Concert, held by the Manhattan High choir department, gave many different participants an opportunity to display their musical talents through the use of strong vocals and compelling instrumental accompaniments.

The event, which occured on Tuesday, was the only fundraising opportunity for the choir.

The concert began with an acapella rendition of “Dancing Queen,” a catchy blast from the past with a unique twist offered by the Varsity choir. Their perfectly blended harmonies were soon followed with the single echo of the first solo as they dove into the individual pieces sung by the seniors.

“I thought it was really awesome,” Claire Todd, a senior in Pops choir, said. “It was really great to see a lot of people going through and doing their stuff… it was just a good time supporting other people.”

Her solo included “Maybe This Time” as well as “Duel of the Fates” with a group, which involved the use of lightsabers as props, and “Over the Rainbow” with the Pops choir.

The concert wasn’t strictly for singing, as the audience soon heard multiple students who played guitar, ukulele, and in one case, the violin. The audience also had the pleasure of being able to hear a select few original songs written by the performers, allowing them to show the aptitude they hold for music. Though unable to individually showcase their skills, those students not of this year’s graduating class still wonderfully expressed themselves in duets, trios, quartets and other group performances.

“I think that everyone who performed, including the large group probably did their best,” Jacob Wineland, a junior in Pops choir, said. “I can’t judge a lot of the varsity student’s solos because they did theirs during their own hour… but I think that everyone sounded amazing tonight.”

He sang a duet with Grace Franke as well as performing with the Pops choir.

The ability to rehearse became a small difficulty for the choir students as they all practiced during different class periods throughout the school day.

“I know in a few of my small groups rehearsing would be nice but I think everyone did really great and it was really fun,” Todd said.

Despite the few blunders and mistakes that were made, the choir never wavered from doing their best and having fun while doing what they love on stage.

“There was a little flub but it was funny and everyone was so light-hearted,” Wineland said. “It was excusable because the moments right after were of course amazing.”

Normally, the concert would conclude with the Pops choir performance followed by the grand finale, but instead they decided to defy tradition by ending with a duet before the larger group of all choir students came onto the stage. Emily Knapp and Alex Aramouni sang “The Prayer,” which featured Aramouni singing portions in Italian. The concert then ended with the grand finale, which featured all choir students singing a medley of show tunes written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein. The brilliantly crafted mash-up included snippets of lyrics from “Oklahoma” and “The Sound of Music,” as well as other musicals produced by the duo.   

“I thought it was great,”  Chad Pape, choir director and teacher, said. “All the kids did terrific.”