Spring Music Festival Showcases Talented Kids

The Spring Music Festival, which took place Thursday evening at East Haven High School, featured the school’s Concert Choir, under the direction of Emily McMinn, and the instrumental talents of The Jazz Ensemble and Symphonic Band, directed by the devoted Michael A. Martino, Jr., who also directs the award-winning Yellow Jacket Marching Band.

The wicked thunder and lightning that descended shortly before members of the three groups were scheduled to arrive at EHHS did not detour anyone from being on time.  Guests arriving were treated to fabulous works of student-created art that adorned the school’s lobby.

The show opened with comments from Martino and introductions of the school’s new principal, Steven Anderson, and Video Arts teacher, Jay Miles, who filmed the show with some of the students from his crew.

The choir was accompanied on piano by Sharon Green, and by flutist Lauren Higgins. Higgins was also the Drum Major for the 2010-11 Yellow Jacket marching season.  Some outstanding soloists from the choir were Katie DiVasto during the song, “Africa”; and Chris Hoang, Kayla Porier, Kari Collins, Joe Caruso, Robyn Genzano and Sean Griffin in a special rendition of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’,” which had the entire audience going. To tell the truth, the kids could have been on the hit TV show, Glee.

Other songs performed by the choir were Mozart’s “Ave Verum Corpus,” which was sung in Latin, “Falling Slowly” by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova and “The Silver Swan” by Orlando Gibbons and Greg Gilpin.

In a very special performance, a student from China, Michel Li, who attends EHHS, gave a lovely performance of a song by Chopin. Li is a concert pianist and has been playing competitively since the age of three.

The Jazz Ensemble performed “Tangerine” by Johnny Mercer, “Dreamsville” by Henry Mancini and John Higgins, and “The Mooche,” by Duke Ellington. The kids put on hats and sunglasses to work the mood of the song and the audience participated with heys and hahs.

Following the Jazz Ensembles performance, the Schneer family treated everyone to an instrumental, featuring a string bass, violins, a banjo and McMinn accompanying them on guitar. This performance was one of the finest of the evening and received a standing ovation.

As the Symphonic Band took the stage, it was noticeable just how many of the students also performed in all three of the groups. The audience cheered loudly. The band opened this portion of the show with a medley of “The Lion King” by Elton John and Tim Rice, as arranged by John Higgins. Following this were songs that showed so much talent, especially from the kids who play multiple instruments. The kids went on to play five more pieces including “America the Beautiful” and “Seventy-Six Trombones.” They also performed an amazing and quite lengthy piece by Brian Balmages that was called “Arabian Dances.”

Closing the musical portion of the program with Irving Berlin’s “God Bless America,” the band and choir together invited the audience to stand. There was aura of patriotism in the air. Proud parents and siblings gave another ovation.