Tuesday, October 24th at 7 p.m., the Green Level Chorus department will make its grand debut of the new school year. They finished out 2022-2023 with the bang that was the POPS concert, wowing the crowd with their choral renditions of popular music, with impressive theatrics to match. A lightsaber battle, a wizard conductor, flying beach balls, and much more left us expecting quite the show for the upcoming Fall Chorus Concert.
The Green Level Chorus program is known for making chorus concerts, for lack of a more sophisticated term, fun. They take classical choral pieces with orthodox origins and give them vibrant life. Their playful spirits shine through what some may find to be dull compositions in nature, engaging crowds and generating a longing for their evident unity.
On the other hand, their musicality is beyond words, impressing familiar crowds, esteemed judges, and general music lovers alike. The Green Level Chorus department’s choirs boast some of the top choral singers in the state (NCMEA High School Honors Chorus Members), straight Superior MPA (Music Performance Adjudication) scores, and an invitation to perform in Carnegie Hall this November (more on that in a subsequent article).
All of these characteristics and accolades are why Green Level can expect nothing but the best from the Fall Chorus Concert. The Green Level Chorus department’s three choirs—Bella Voce (the advanced treble choir), The Tenor/Bass Choir (the mixed-levels male choir), and The Level Singers (the beginning treble choir)—are all eager to impress. These chorus students want to break away from the image of yawning parents making up the crowds of bleak performances and go towards a more immersive and entertaining concert experience.
In years past, these Green Level choirs have garnered some of the most significant student body support of any performing art, second to only the theatre department. Countless friends of chorus students attend the concerts, right along with many students who don’t necessarily know any members. The Gator Goonies (the leaders of Green Level’s student section) have also made appearances at chorus concerts, getting the crowd riled up with support.
The Fall Concert is always a special one for the Green Level Chorus department. Aside from it being the first concert of the year, it sets the tone for how the choirs will progress. A good Fall Concert fills the choirs with confidence in their skills and empowers them to attack the music they learn throughout the year with tenacity. Last year’s Fall Concert was bittersweet according to students, with them feeling confident in some pieces and weak in others. Many of them attribute this to the adjustment of losing a large amount of graduating seniors the previous year, and the resulting struggle of finding confidence in their new unified voice.
However, this year, chorus students are excitedly anticipating the Fall Concert. As they began to sing together when school first started, they were pleasantly surprised with the quality of their sound, and the speed at which they were learning music. Max Carrion, a Student Leader for the Tenor/Bass Choir says he’s impressed with his choir’s development. “We’ve grown so much from even just the start of the year, and I’m really excited because I’m hoping that we can show up there and show all the growth that has happened in the span of like two months.”
The choirs have already mastered many pieces, notably “Nox” by illustrious composer Elaine Hagenberg, whose pieces the students often turn to for beautiful homages to the natural world, and “Will The Circle Be Unbroken” by J. David Moore, an experimental piece for the choirs with roots in Appalachian folk music, a style these choirs are dabbling in for the first time.
Ms. Faust, the Green Level Chorus teacher, is known for providing a wide variety of choral music to her students, leading them to be well-versed in many different subgenres. With this being Ms. Faust’s second year teaching chorus at Green Level, she’s more connected with her students and how they function in their respective ensembles, equipping her to lead them gracefully and effortlessly. Concert attendants can expect to be blown away by her passionate conducting, and the way the choirs respond to her motions as if instruments she’s playing note by note.
In the spirit of the fall season, the choirs have a special treat in store; they’ll be performing “This is Halloween” from Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. The choirs rarely perform pop songs unless at their annual end-of-year POPS concert, so this is especially exciting for students and concertgoers alike. Max Carrion says he’s most eager to perform “This Is Halloween” because “It’s a banger, and it has a fun Bass part, which is rare.” Cori Peterson from the Bella Voce choir agrees, saying “I’m glad we added a Halloween touch, it’s exciting.”
To experience the fruit of the labor of these wonderfully talented students, come to the Fall Chorus Concert on Tuesday, October 24th at 7 p.m. in the GLHS Auditorium. Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for adults, and the link to purchase online will soon be available in the Green Level Fine Arts Boosters Newsletter. Tickets will be available at the door as well. Make sure to follow the Green Level Chorus department on Instagram at @glevelchorus to stay updated!
