On Sunday, April 28, 2013 an audience of 400 at Saint Aloysius Church in Jersey City reveled in the sounds of Saint Dominic Academy’s nationally award winning Glee Club and Dominoes choirs. “The Spring Concert was one of a trifecta of great events ending this school year”, said director Joseph P. Napoli. “We won our 12th choral grand championship award at Myrtle Beach two weeks ago and we will perform in Carnegie Hall on May 26th for the fifth consecutive year”.
This years’ spring program was special in several ways. The choir opened with “This Day”, a collection of five songs that were written for Cheryl Dupont and the New Orleans Children’s Choir after Hurricane Katrina. “It is ironic that only three months after Hurricane Sandy, my choir was invited to sing this work in Carnegie Hall under the direction of Mrs. Dupont”, said Napoli. “I look forward to sharing our experiences and the impact of those hurricanes on our children’s lives. Music is a great healer.”
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The Glee Club’s collaboration with Saint Peter’s Prep’s Vox choir, directed by Gianpaolo Eleria, provided the stunning climax of this concert. A combined choir of nearly 100 voices enthralled the audience with the poignancy of “I Dreamed a Dream”, and “On My Own”, the childlike simplicity of “Castle on a Cloud”, and the majesty of “Do You Hear the People Sing?” As the final words of the finale’ rang out; “it is the future that you hear when tomorrow comes; tomorrow comes”, the audience arose as one for a tear stained standing ovation.
Many choir members considered this the best musical moment of their lives. Napoli concluded, “I remember the songs from my high school days 40 years ago and am quite certain that the members of the SDA and Prep combined choirs will remember those songs and this day for the rest of their lives”.
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Saint Dominic Academy is an independent, Catholic, college preparatory school for girls in grades 7-12, which has been empowering women for leadership in a global society for over 130 years. Sponsored by the Sisters of Saint Dominic of Caldwell, Saint Dominic Academy is rooted in Christian values and embraces its richly diverse community of learners. It is located in an historic building at 2572 Kennedy Boulevard in Jersey City, on the internet at www.stdominicacad.com and twitter @SaintDomAcademy.