Every year the Millbrook choir classes show off their talents and the skills they have learned in the winter concert. This year, the concert happened on Tuesday, December 18. The event began at 7 p.m. and was an hour and a half of students showcasing their musical talent. This year, there were five different groups taught by Millbrook choir teacher Eddie Adams, who all worked together to produce different but equally amazing performances.
The concert began with the Novum group singing “Ave Verum” by Will Todd. This was a group of 14 sopranos and altos, and over half were singing for the first time on the Millbrook stage. With such an accomplishment, these students fought their nerves and performed three beautiful songs. The two other songs that were performed were “Caledonia” by Douglas Mensies MacLean and “Becoming You” by Bethany Main.
The next group was the Ingen group. This group of all tenor and bass students sang three songs and finished with a mashup of songs from the movie “Hamilton”. Opening with “Omnia Vincit Amor” by Micheal John Trotta captured the audience’s attention with the switch of deep vocals to soothing melodies. This group also had over half of the students singing for the first time on the Millbrook stage. Freshman Luca Castaneda said, “I enjoyed being able to sing on stage at Millbrook after growing up going to chorus concerts.”
This group worked alongside special guest Jim Waddelow. He is known as one of the most versatile conductors in the south of the United States. Waddelow is currently the Music Director and Conductor of the Raleigh Symphony Orchestra, and he is the Director of Instrumental Activities at Meredith College. He worked alongside this group of Millbrook students by playing the bass for a few of the songs.
During the song “Yonder Come Day” by Adam and Matt Podd, the Ingen group led the audience to clap along with them and the beat. During this, junior Micah Ferguson received a solo part. During the mashup from the “Hamilton” soundtrack, first time singer on the Millbrook stage, senior Nathaniel Baker-Sample got to show off his talents with a few solo lines as well.
The third group was the Chamber group. This group of all soprano and alto students was the largest group of the night. They sang four songs that showcased this group’s wide range of abilities. They began with “Turning Pages” by Daniell Brinsmead, and they finished the set with “Plena” by Diana V. Saez.
Junior Lucy Enyeart said, “I love our choir concerts because they let us show all the amazing music we learned. It truly takes dedication and hard work, but it all pays off in the end.”
During this part of the concert, Millbrook senior Xavier Brown entered to play the violin alongside the singers. He played the song “Shalom” by Dan Forrest, which gave the song a whole different musicality that entranced the guests listening. During the third song in the set, “How Good” by Michael Engelhardt, the crowd clapped along with the singers which allowed for another fun interaction between the groups.
After a ten minute intermission, the Celeste group took the stage. They are also a soprano alto group. This group was so special because they were taught by both Adams and student teacher Jasmine Brown. Having the different teaching styles allowed the audience to see the playfulness that was created within this group, but also the hard work that was learned.
Brown talked to the audience about how much this group loved rounds, which is a song form where three to five voices simultaneously sing a simple melody in unison starting at slightly different times. This group liked doing these exercises/ songs because it is a good team builder, and they are fun to do. That opened to the first thing the group was doing, a round. They chose “I Love the Flowers”.
This group’s performance continued with Adams playing the drums and Waddelow playing the bass while Brown conducted. This was a fun change of pace because it allowed for the roles to change and for the audience to see Adams other abilities besides conducting. Senior Colson Griffin said, “I really enjoyed this part of the concert. I have never been to a choir concert before, but this was definitely a special experience.”
During “Sylvie” by Adam and Matt Podd, two students came forward for different solos. This group ended with the song “Honeysuckle Rose” by Thomas Waller.
The Madrigals group closed out the event. This group was the first mixed range group, and with sopranos, altos, tenors, and basses, it created a beautiful mix that hadn’t previously been heard in the night. The second song “All Things New” by Elaine Hagenberg came with an intro by the singers. They wanted the audience to see that there’s always a positive after a negative, and the audience should notice the facial expressions and body language of the singers. This group closed their set with “Regina Coeli (KV 276)” by Mozart. They chose this to reflect humility and joy.
Adams closed the performance by giving a thank you to everyone that made the concert possible, from the tech theater students that controlled lights, to the admin and parents that attended. He also thanked the pianist that played the entire night, Ariadna Acianceno.
Adams said, “I so value watching our students thrive on stage. We work hard on difficult music, and it’s special to share that with our community. In short, we have outstanding talent here at MHS, and it’s always great to watch these students in their element.”
Families, former Millbrook students, current Millbrook students and staff all came to enjoy and cheer on the performers. If you would like to attend the next Millbrook choir concert, there is one February 27 and one May 13.
