The Governor's School for the Arts, 2007-2008 Season

Winter Celebration

Displayed on free-standing panels in the lobby were paintings and other graphic creations viewed by the capacity crowd that had come to the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts on Friday, January 11, 2008. "A Winter Celebration of the Arts" included the art opening and a concert that included jazz, symphonic and operatic vocal music.

Keith Philbrick, director of GSA's Big Band, and about half of the students are new to the program this year. As Philbrick told us, the new students didn't know what an eighth note was in September but that in no way dampened their enthusiasm and the quality of the program. The first selection, with Cory Fonville on drums, was Sidewinder by Lee Morgan (arr. Paul Murtha), a song mellow and upbeat by turn. With Winton Davis at the piano the twenty-two piece Big Band played Johnny Burke and James Van Heusen's (arr. John Edmondson) Here's that Rainy Day. A half dozen sax players made their mark. The Chicken, as in The Funky Chicken, not mother's soup, has a brassy opening and a drum fanfare before the guitar and two bass players are featured. Written by Alfred James Ellis (arr. Kris Berg), the music has a high, happy energy, a few quiet passages and lots of rhythmic guitar work.

In a forty minute complete performance of Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) Symphony #4 in E minor, there were many beautifully played sections. Music director Jeffrey Phelps led the seventy-eight piece GSA Symphony Orchestra with Katherine Dennis as concertmaster. There is an urgency in the first movement that captivates the listener with a powerful ending that uses the full resources of the ensemble.

The second movement, Andante moderato, has a tuneful, singing sound. The third movement, Allegro giocoso, is short and focused. The group playing was taut and professional. The fourth movement, Allegro energico e passionate, opens with a military march and has a section that features the horns. My attention shifted to how absolutely comfortable the seats are. Playing a whole symphony is a challenge for a high school orchestra and they gave an enthusiastic performance. Brahms symphony is like sprays of music, rivulets of music, that overwhelm the listener with the flow of so many notes.

Seven students from the vocal music department were accompanied by the orchestra, led by Alan Fisher, vocal music director, in the Finale of Act II: Marriage of Figaro (sung in English). Later we heard three segments from The Magic Flute and one from Die Fledermaus featuring other student vocalists. The most impressive performance was of Va Pensiero (in Italian) from Verdi's Nabucco by the chorus with all thirty-eight students singing led by Robert Brown, chorus master. My thought was that they were as fine as whipped butter and maple syrup on homemade waffles.

In the next selection, soprano Courtney Johnson (junior) stepped out as soloist in Regina Coeli...Inneggiamo from Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana backed by chorus, orchestra and organ. The beauty of the music was emotionally overwhelming. Once again the audience was wowed by the power and beauty of Ms. Johnson's singing as they had been earlier when she and mezzo-soprano La Tetra Lewis (junior) sang a lovely, balanced Flower duet from Puccini's Madama Butterfly.

Jeffrey Phelps returned to the podium to conduct the symphony performing Overture from West Side Story which features bits of all the songs Bernstein used in the musical, including the hauntingly lovely Somewhere. The audience was rehearsed to sing "Mambo!" and the raucous cowbell ending brought the evening to a grand conclusion.

School Band and Orchestra Magazine chooses an outstanding person from each state each year. Patti Watters, chair of instrumental music, was presented the 2007 "50 Directors Who Make a Difference" award.

The last time the instrumental and vocal music departments gave a joint concert was seven or eight years ago. Ms. Watters said that "It is rewarding to give the students the opportunity to play this gorgeous music in such a good hall. It is truly a glorious sound." We look forward to their next joint concert in this great venue.