Department of Music to Present A Pair of 'Sounds of the Season' Concerts
The Department of Music will present its annual "Sounds of the Season" concert programs on Tuesday and Thursday, December 5 and 7, in the AIS Auditorium. Featured on the December 5 program will be the Primary School music performance groups: PS Chorus, under the direction of Ms. Karen Peters, PS String Orchestras I, II and III, under the direction of Ms. Herrad Welp, and the PS Grade 5 Band, under the direction of Mr. Albert Soskin. The program begins at 6 p.m. (please note the new start time for PS concerts this year) and is free and open to all.
Two nights later, on Thursday, December 7, the Music Department will present its largest production of the academic year. Seven separate ensembles from the Secondary School will perform, beginning at 7 p.m.
Leading off the program will be the Middle School Symphonic Band, under the leadership of Dr. Ronald L. Howard. Opening the evening's events will be the Symphonic Band's performance of the exciting "Liturgical Fanfare." Other MS groups appearing on this portion of the program include the MS Chorus, under the direction of interim Director of Choirs, Mr. Brandon Beachamp, who recently took over AIS's choral program in the secondary school. The MS String Orchestra will also perform, under the direction of Ms. Robin Wilkins, who is the newly appointed conductor of the secondary school string program.
The Upper School portion of the program will include the AIS Jazz Band, under Dr. Howard's direction. Soloists featured with this band will include Joshua Handford, Nik Beisert, Rohan Thompson, and Cian OFaolain. A highlight of the Jazz Band's show will be a performance of Chuck Mangione's "Land of Make Believe." Charles Vanijcharoenkarn, Matthew Keeter, Julia Taylor, Celine Gendron, and Annie Farrell will be the featured string soloists with the US Advanced Chamber Orchestra, led by Ms. Wilkins. The 40-voice US Chorus, under the direction of Mr. Beachamp, will also appear on the 90-minute program.
Closing out the evening's performance will be the new AIS Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Dr. Howard. Formed last spring, the Orchestra has 43 student and adult members and is truly a "community" orchestra within our school. The Orchestra is scheduled to appear at the 2007 Smoky Mountain Music Festival in April. For the December 7 program, the Symphony will perform "Procession of the Sardar" by Ippolotov-Ivanov, three excerpts from George Bizet's opera, "Carmen," and Leroy Anderson's perpetual holiday selection, "A Christmas Festival." The community is cordially invited to come and hear the fruits of the labors of the students and faculty in our rapidly expanding Department of Music!