A New York Minute: Student Singers Perform at Carnegie Hall
By Dawn Allcot, N2Arts Correspondent
Do you have what it takes to sing at the world famous Carnegie Hall?
 

ot every professional musician, let alone a high school choir member, can boast of performing at New York’s famed Carnegie Hall. But for the past three years, the Carnegie Hall High School Choral Festival has given students that opportunity.

The Brentwood High School Choir from Long Island, NY, was one of four groups chosen to participate in last year’s festival, and the only group chosen that was not a “Select” choir. Anyone in the school can join.

The BHS Choir joined the Tappan Zee High School Concert Choir, the Tottenville High School Concert Choir and the Professional Performing Arts High School Choir at the event. Each group performed 10 minutes of material and then all four groups combined, backed by the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, to perform Bach’s Magnificat - a challenging piece with “a trillion notes,” joked BHS Choir director Anne Kollar.

Like the other participants, the BHS Choir received visits from conductor Susan Medley in preparation for the event. “She was so full of energy,” Kollar said. “And just a really solid musician.”

Kollar made sure her students knew the material beforehand, but she waited for Medley to add her own interpretation. “The students were impressed by her, kind of hanging on every word, knowing that she came from Carnegie Hall,” Kollar said.

Hon-Sin Leung, one member of the choir, said she learned a lot from Medley in the group practice before the show. “Blend is very important,” Leung said. “We knew it before, but she really showed us how much it means.”

Student Lynette McDaniels said the overall experience of being at Carnegie Hall stands out in her mind. “I was just excited to be there.”

Leung agreed, “It was great to be there, to prove to everyone that we could do it. We made it! You don’t forget things like that.”

John C. Torres, a senior who plans to major in vocal performance in college, said that the accomplishment looks great on his college applications. “How many high school students can say they’ve performed at Carnegie Hall?”

Torres even had the chance to perform a solo at the event. “When I had to do my solo, I looked up and saw the whole balcony filled, all eyes on me. I got a little scared. It was fun, though.”

Kollar said she enjoyed hearing her group perform within the legendary acoustics of the Isaac Stern Auditorium.

The Carnegie Hall High School Choral Festival launched in March 2002, with four high school choir groups selected, through auditions, to participate. The February 2003 program grew to include the New York City Area High School Choral Festival and the New York State High School Choral Festival. In May 2004, Carnegie Hall will be hosting its first National High School Choral Festival. Participants in this program will interact with Maestro Craig Jessop via videoconference. 

Dawn Allcot, journalist, editor and music education advocate, has enjoyed school music performances in venues from New York to Australia. As the former editor of Band & Orchestra Product News and a frequent contributor to School Band and Orchestra magazine, she strives to inspire young musicians and their teachers through her writing. Find out more at www.dawnallcot.com. She can be reached by email at dawnallcot@yahoo.com.