On Thursday, May 18, 2023 the Senior High School vocal ensembles gathered for their Spring Concert. The vocal music program is led by Music Teacher and Choirmaster Joe Paris with piano accompaniment by Charles Palella, Choir Director Emeritus at Hilton Central School District. Four vocal ensembles took to the stage in celebration of some of the most iconic composers, lyricists, and performers from the last 200 years.
The first group to perform was the Senior Chorale. This relatively young group showed off their vocal potential in a lineup by big-name hits starting with a medley of songs from the legendary Beatles: Revolver album arranged by Alan Billingsley followed by Lacrymosa by the equally famous, but 200 years older, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, arranged by Russell Robinson. After a quick costume change, the group performed the lighthearted If You’ve Only Got a Mustache by American composer Stephen Foster, arranged by Larry Shackley with solos performed by Solomon Smith and Bradley Pocock. The set wrapped up with Love Story by international pop phenomenon Taylor Swift, arranged by Anne Raugh and Deke Sharon, and Finale B from Jonathon Larson’s Tony Award-Wining musical Rent, arranged by Roger Emerson, solo performed by Haydin Perez.
Second to the stage was Byron-Bergen’s newly formed a cupella group, The Acafellas. In only their second ever B-B performance, they tackled Run to You by a cupella heavy-weights, Pentatonix, followed by the Billy Joel hit classic, For the Longest Time, arranged by Tom Gentry.
Next to the stage were Byron-Bergen’s vocal ambassadors, the Singing Silhouettes. They started off their set with a trio of technically impressive pieces: Elijah Rock arranged by Moses Hogan; traditional Cornish folksong I Love My Love, arranged by Gustav Holst; and Stereo Hearts by Gym Class Heroes, arranged by Erik Reinhart, solos by Emma Balduf, Malachi Smith, Sage Johnson, Dayi Caballero, and guest percussionist Quintin Rich. They wrapped up with a trio of songs about the earth: Earth Song by Frank Tichelli; Voices of Earth by David Dickau; and Emerald Stream by Seth Houston.
Mr. Paris then invited the seniors to the front of the stage for recognition and a round of applause before calling all the musicians back to the stage for the final number performed by the combined choir, Bohemian Rhapsody by renowned rock royalty, Queen.
Congratulations to all of the talented musicians.