MHS Orchestra & Chorus Perform Spring Concert Tonight

The Millburn High School Orchestra and Choruses will present their Spring Concert tonight, with a special collaboration with Dale Trumbore, a composer, who was commissioned to compose a piece specifically for the high school musicians.

Trumbore, the daughter of The Item Editor Harry Trumbore, wrote the piece, making use of Barbara Crooker’s poem, “Brass Section,” explores the imagery in the text through orchestration.

The student musicians have been working with Trumbore via Skype to get insight into the composition and her composing process before presenting the world premier of the composition, “Harmony in Gold.”

An active composer on both coasts, Trumbore has won numerous awards and her pieces have been performed by ensembles including the Kronos Quartet, the USC Thornton Symphony, the New York Virtuoso Singers, the Orange County Women’s Chorus, the Harmonium Choral Society, the Boston New Music Initiative, the Neave Quartet and the Left Bank Chamber Society.

The concert will also feature the Ninth Grade Chorus, Cantica Nova, performing two traditional folk songs, a fun and energized arrangement of “I’ve Been Workin’ on the Railroad” and the Irish classic “Danny Boy” featuring Elyse Kuo on oboe. The choir will also perform Niel Ginsbeg’s “The Wind” which uses R. L. Stevenson’s poem of the same name and Mary Lynn Lightfoot’s call to song “Cantate Hodie.”  Showcased in the set will be freshmen student accompanists Noah Lombos and Millburn Class of 2011’s Brian Cao.

The Millburn Chorale will perform a set comprising of four different languages. Included is the Italian Madrigal “El Grillo” by Franco-Flemish composer Josquin de Prez and two selections from German Composer Felix Mendelssohn’s “Sech Lieder Im Freien Zu Singen, Op. 48.”  Also included will be Stephen Glass’ setting of Hannah Senesh’s poem “Halikha LeKesariya” and a Mosses Hogan arrangement of the African-American Spiritual “Wade in the Water.”

The Chamber String Orchestra will perform Telemann’s Don Quixote Suite in which the music portrays the characters and life of the famous novel.  Senior Upas Narayan with join the chamber ensemble as soloist in the final movement of Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto in A Major.

The Symphony Orchestra will open their part of the program with a most exciting work, Finlandia by Sibelius. The string section will then be featured performing Fantasia on a 17th Century Tune, arranged by Richard A. Stephan and the full Orchestra will end with Gliere’s “Russian Sailor’s Dance” from the ballet, The Red Poppy.

The Miller Chorus will perform Stephen Hatfield’s rhythmic and celebratory arrangement of the traditional Cuban folk song “Son de Camaguey.”  Then the more lyrical qualities of the choir will be showcased in David Child’s “Where Dwells the Soul of My Love,” a setting of the first section of James Thomson’s poem titled “Art” featuring Elyse Kuo on oboe.  Closing the set will be an arrangement of Coldplay’s “Fix You” and the African-American Spiritual “Ev’ry Time I Feel the Spirit.”  The set will feature student accompanists Jeremy Au and Christopher Li on piano as well as Brannon Cho on cello.

The Choruses are directed by Mr. Rodrigo Vega, and the Orchestras are under the direction of Mrs. Karen Conrad.  The concert is free and open to the public at begins at 7:30 p.m. at the High School auditorium.