Mt. Pleasant music ends on a high note

MT. PLEASANT — From mass choirs and bands to solos, a variety of musical talent performed at Mt. Pleasant High School's spring concert Monday.

“The Awakening” by Joseph M. Martin immediately drew the audience into the experience with the power of the all-grade mass choir.

Despite the large number of voices, the choir was able to achieve notable variation with hushed whispers of, “silent,” before building the song again to awakening proportions.

After a bit of shuffling, the concert band was fully awake as they answered with same energy performing “Flashfire” by Randall Standridge.

The freshman choir changed things up as they began with an a capella “Salmo 150,” which showcased a surprisingly strong tenor section acting as a metronome.

The freshman faces light upon beginning a soulful rendition “I Hear America Singing,” by Andre J. Thomas.

In a continuance of shuffling, the first solo of the night was performed with the symphonic band by Ethan Sexauer.

Sexauer appeared effortless in his contribution to “Schindler’s List,” by John Williams.

True enough, “Schindler’s List“ appeared to be a rather dark choice of music for a high school band, however, Band Director Jim DePriest explained that the song was chosen in anticipation of the band’s trip to Washington, D.C.

While in Washington, D.C., the band will perform at the Martin Luther King Memorial Jr.

DePriest found “Schindler’s List” and “To Dance Among the Stars” appropriate song choices for the band, because many of the students will have the opportunity to visit the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

Song choices for the mass band were not controversial and displayed a distinct juxtaposition to the heaviness of the symphonic band.

“We have not practiced this,” Jim Depriest said, “So, it’s either going to be absolutely stunning or a disaster.”

The mass band performed “Argentum” by Randall D. Standridge and “America, The Beautiful” with such fullness, vibrancy, and drive, that it landed solidly in the “absolutely stunning” camp.

The second and final soloist of the night, Victoria Smith, followed the mass band.

Smith opened the concert choir’s performance of “Letting Go” by Leslie Briscusse/Lojeski.

The concert choir songs were poignant in the reverberations of Sunday’s graduation ceremony as they also included “Go Out with Joy” by Hank Beebe.

Graduation was certainly fresh in the minds of students and attendees considering awards were presented prior to the first musical performance.

Various choir and band awards were presented alongside Senior Music Awards.

The Senior Music Awards were given to seniors who participated in every semester of the music program throughout high school.

Senior parents were given one last opportunity to love on their seniors as they were recognized with presentations of a single red rose from their senior.

Many of these seniors could easily be pinpointed throughout the night as they proudly wore their award medals.

The whole evening ended on a high note as the Chamber Singers wrapped things up with three songs: “Salvation is Created,” by Tschesnokoff/Norden, “As the Rain Hides the Stars,” by Ian Assersohn, and “John the Revelator,” arranged by Caldwell and Ivory.

The group, dressed sharply in black, sang with beautiful open vowels which brought “Salvation is Created,” to life.

Bodies could be seen swaying with the songs on the risers and the bleachers.

The audience silently listened as “As the Rain Hides the Stars,” built with an echo much like the swelling of a rainstorm.

As the evening came to a close choir director Marlene DePriest took time to thank her students, co-workers, and parents for their participation with the music department throughout the year.

“It truly is a joy to work with nearly all of them,” Marlene DePriest said with a smile.

A performance of “John the Revelator” raised the energy level of the gynamsium as the Chamber Singers lively sang crisp words and clapped along.

“That last song was a solid 50/50 of being good,” one Chamber Singers student could be overheard telling her family as she left the concert.

Thankfully, the whole evening was “good” and did the Mt. Pleasant High School Music Department justice.

Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com