The winter music concerts, held from Wednesday, Dec. 11 to Friday, Dec. 13, provided a respite for students from their Block Day preparations and an opportunity to showcase Poly’s flourishing music program.
The performances at the Garland Theater included Orchestra and Chamber Ensemble Night, Jazz Night and Vocal Night, with performances by both Poly Upper and Middle School students.
On Jazz Night, the first semester Jazz Band class performed several different pieces on a set they put together themselves. To prepare for the concert, the students challenged themselves by improvising their own ideas for tunes based on a chord structure and memorizing some of the pieces by ear, the traditional way of passing down jazz. “
It’s a really risky endeavor to improvise, especially when in front of your peers,” said Middle and Upper School Performing Arts instructor Megan Foley, who teaches the Jazz Band class. “I hold in high regard any student who wants to play their instrument in that way and take the risk.”
Orchestra and Chamber Ensemble Night, also led by Foley, featured performances by fifth grade performers as well as Upper and Middle Schoolers.
“It was cool for the Middle School students to hear the Upper School students,” shared sixth-grade parent Laura Flanagan. “The Middle School kids stayed and listened, seeming very engaged.”
Finally, Vocal Night consisted of two ensemble songs and fourteen solos and duets performed by the Upper School Vocal Ensemble, three songs by the Middle School Cantatori and one combined Middle and Upper School song. Students sang a variety of genres, including jazz, pop and musical theater, all accompanied on the piano by Middle and Upper School Performing Arts teacher and Vocal Ensemble Director Eric Lifland.
“Everybody showed more comfort on stage and better, more artistic singing,” said Lifland. “I hope the program keeps growing with more students wanting to sing in it.”
“I think we had a lot more freshmen perform this Vocal Night compared to past years,” shared sophomore Vocal Ensemble member Alexandra Tan. “It’s really cool that they have the courage to perform on their own.”
Upcoming music performances to anticipate include the Vocal Ensemble’s annual Cabaret Night on Mar. 14 and the Orchestra’s Spring Concert in May.