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Choir prepares for Commencement performance at the Ordway
Reprinted with permission from SPA Smugmug
Academy Chorale performs at the 2016 Commencement on the front lawn of SPA.
Most of SPA’s music programs had their final performance of the year at the spring concerts. Usually, the work and commitment musicians need to put into their music diminishes towards the end of the year. However, the Academy Chorale has just started to prepare for their final performance at commencement, which is being held at the Ordway Center on June 10.
Choir Director Anne Klus talked about the change in pressure on the choirs: “The pressure is off of Summit Singers and Chorale because our concert was at the end of April. The rehearsals get very intense and we put in extra time and extra rehearsals to prepare for the spring concert.”
As the choirs enter into May, the pressures lessen and the choir can focus on one song instead of a whole set of songs. The choir rehearsals also become more sparse and extensive as the Upper School gears up for the musical. Klus said, “Almost 50 percent of Summit Singers and Academy Chorale members were in the spring musical RENT, which practiced three hours every day after school. That is a very intense schedule.”
Every year, the choir performs a graduation song that features the seniors of the choir and is supported by the underclassman. This year, the choir will sing “This is Me”’ from The Greatest Showman soundtrack. The song featured solos from 21 out of the 23 seniors in both choirs and was supported by the remainder of the choir.
Getting the choir ready for the final performance, especially since the seniors are no longer on campus, is a time-consuming task for Klus. In addition to the absence of the seniors, graduation has been moved to the Ordway this year which is a change from the ceremony being held on the front lawn or in the Huss Center in previous years. Graduation is off campus, so the choir is not able to access the Ordway to hold dress rehearsals with the full choir until the day of commencement.
“What changes, as I said before, is that our big concert pressure is gone – and the pressures of homework, projects and finals ramp up during May. So we go into May mode, which is not such an intense rehearsal schedule.”
