A World Premiere at the Annual Spring Concert
April 18, 2024—With Lower School Orchestra seated on stage, Emily Chen ’29 and Grace Wu ’29 kicked off the annual spring concert by introducing their ensemble and the pieces they would be performing.
Chen and Wu asked the crowd to pay attention to the “musical colors and textures” at play in “Adoration” by Florence Price—a piece originally written for organ and which Performing Arts Faculty Julia Connor adapted for string orchestra, xylophone, piano, and marimba. The Lower School Orchestra’s second and final piece was a traditional Scandinavian folk tune called “Lumkomm.” Chen and Wu explained that the ensemble usually learns new pieces from sheet music and this piece introduced a new process where musicians were challenged to learn by ear. “See if you can hear how each section takes turns playing the melody, harmony, and baseline,” they urged.
At Winsor, students wishing for a deeper study may opt to take a master class. Taught by Ms. Connor, Susan Zuo ’26 and Kelly Yin’ 26 performed “Concert-Caprice for Two Violins on Norwegian Themes” by Johan Halvorsen. Zuo and Yin stood for their moving performance, which received shouts and applause from the audience. Emcees Amelia Rudy ’29 and Nika Bigelow ’25 introduced the choral portion of the program, where singers leaned into spring with choirs donning florals and pastel colors.
First, Chorus I/II, directed by Yufen Yen, sang “Best Day of My Life” by American Authors. “They hope the song makes you feel happy and positive, just as the songwriters intended,” shared the emcees. Descants, directed by Choral Director Andrew Marshall, sang “Alleluia” (adapted from “Canon in D”) by Johann Pachelbel and arranged by Mr. Marshall. Both ensembles were accompanied by Head of Performing Arts Felicia Brady-Lopez on piano.
Upper School Illumina started their program with a haunting and hopeful piece harkening back to the Covid-19 pandemic. Using spoken word, body rhythms, clapping, and vocalizations, students faced different directions as they built a mixture of sounds and textures. Written by 31-year-old Canadian composer Katerina Gimon, “A Path to Hope” was commissioned in the pandemic and explores the challenges of isolation and uncertainty that were felt during that time. The piece concluded with students holding hands and “singing as one.”
After singing “He Came in Storm and Rain” composed by Clara Schumann (wife of the well-known composer Robert Schumann) and “Gloria” written by Gyorgy Orban, a special faculty guest announced Illumina’s final piece. Head of World Languages Valentina Páez took the stage to share her passion for the “intricate layers, melodies, and language that create magic in music.” Some may recall that Ms. Páez played the congas at the 2022 Annual Winter Concert and has participated in other Winsor performances over the years as well.
A few months ago, over lunch in the dining room, Mr. Marshall told Ms. Páez that he was looking for music and arrangements from Latin America and the Caribbean and ultimately asked Ms. Páez to consider arranging one of her songs for Illumina. She said yes.
Some may not know that in addition to teaching, Ms. Páez has a background in music. Growing up singing in choirs in Venezuela, she went on to study music at three different conservatories. Before coming to Boston, she traveled extensively to learn about the music of Latin America and the Caribbean. Drawing on her experience writing songs and arrangements for dance companies, choirs, salsa bands, jazz quartets, and bolero trios, the serendipitous conversation with Mr. Marshall reignited her curiosity and passion for music, and led to a special commission for Winsor.
In her moving remarks, Ms. Páez said of the opportunity, “What a gift.” Her piece, entitled “Tan Cerca de Mi,” is a tribute to Brazil and the Caribbean—which border the south and north of her beloved home country of Venezuela. “These two places, their histories, their people, and their music have had the biggest influence on me as a composer,” she said.
With Illumina singing, and guest artists on guitar (Maurizio Fiore Salas), bass (Pia Odar Ruiz), and drums (Francheska Olazabal-Vega), Ms. Páez directed the world premiere of “Tan Cerca de Mi,” which she dedicated to Illumina. The performance received a standing ovation from the entire auditorium. “A special thank you to Señora Páez for that gorgeous piece of music,” said Head of School Sarah Pelmas.
The annual Spring Concert ended with a performance by Senior Small. Made up of seniors in Illumina, the group is directed by Mr. Marshall. Singing “No Roots” by Alice Merton, it was the final school-wide performance by Senior Small, who will soon be graduating.
