LHS Chamber Choir to Perform At Bay Area Cabaret

From The Bay Area Cabaret: The Bay Area Cabaret in San Francisco is kicking off its 15th season on Sunday, September 30 with a performance by Matthew Morrison - known for his role as Will Shuester in the Fox TV series Glee and numerous Broadway roles - who will be joined by the Livermore High School (LHS) Chamber Choir. As the date approaches, the talented students, along with Chris Filice, Director of Choirs at LHS, are preparing for the event as professionals and mastering material on a deadline.

“I’m so excited that the students in Chamber Choir are getting a peek into the real world of professional music-making,” said Filice. This is Filice’s fourth year in his position, coming to LHS directly from Westminster Choir College in Princeton where he received his bachelor’s degree in Music Education and Master of Arts in Teaching. “When young musicians get the chance to be treated as professionals, it can be totally life changing and eye opening. Preparing all of this music in such a short amount of time has been a real challenge, but I can’t wait to see the final result on September 30th!”

The LHS Chamber Choir, an advanced choir made up of 16 students in grades 10-12, seems up to the challenge. The pace of the class stays at a steady clip from the bell, with students quickly learning their parts with a look at their music and direction from Filice, who encourages them to “guess loud,” as they sing off the page and find the right sound. Their fast-approaching performance date does not leave much room for approaching the music timidly, and the choir students practice with confidence. Filice accompanies the students on piano, stops to pick apart a particular section of music, provides some instruction and adjustments, and moves on. It feels fast, but the class is in sync and well-practiced, expertly picking up the notes and the timing.

The event this week will be an incredible opportunity for the LHS Chamber Choir to share their talents with a large Bay Area audience, and to perform and learn from a professional in the field of music. Being invited to perform at a high-profile event such as this one is a unique validation of the skill of the LHS Chamber Choir, and a valuable experience for the students to showcase the polished product of their practice.

The Bay Area Cabaret performance is in the Venetian Room at the Fairmont San Francisco on Sunday, September 30 at 7:00 pm. Tickets can be purchased online at www.bayareacabaret.org. Members of the Livermore community can purchase tickets at a $30 discount. Use code COWBOYS at purchase to receive the discount.

Images via LVJUSD