Choir is Amazing at HHS Concert
Huntington High School’s chamber and concert choirs turned in “amazing” performances at the school’s winter concert in late December before hundreds of classmates and family members.
“The concert was amazing,” choir member Zachary Burden said. The choir rehearses daily in school. There are two classes for concert choir and another for chamber choir. There are also lessons during the week, allowing small groups of choir members to work on music.
The chamber and concert choirs are led by Huntington choral director Veronica Mainville. Richard Liebowitz accompanied both choirs on piano during the winter concert.
The chamber choir performed Hodie Christus natus est, Five Hebrew Love Songs (with Monica Owen on violin, a Hebrew poem by Chelsea Holmes and a soprano solo by Sarah Mosden), O Holy Night and Lay Earth’s Burden Down (with Salvatore Martello and Darius Nash performing speaking solos).
The concert choir performed Siyahamba, For the Beauty of the Earth, Carol of the Bells, The Happiest New Year, Jabula Jesu and 21 Guns, the latter of which was directed by Ms. Mosden with Kara Talve on piano, Dana Cavanagh on drums and Annalise Mozer, Declan Byrne, Stephanie Shea and Melany Lanham-Ciancia as soloists.
The evening also included performances by the concert and symphony orchestras. The concert concluded with the symphony orchestra and concert choirs performing a stirring rendition of the Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus from Messiah. Audience members were invited to participate in the grand finale.
Ms. Mosden, a senior who is interning with Mrs. Mainville, earned rave reviews for directing the concert choir in a performance of 21 Guns, a song originally by Green Day. The teenager guided the choir in an arrangement of the song taken from the Broadway show American Idiot.
“It was exciting to be on the other side of the choir; facing them and leading them,” Ms. Mosden said. “I was a little nervous before the concert started. This was my first conducting experience and I wanted to make sure I did perfectly. The choir was spectacular and I thought I did pretty well myself. I am lucky to have my first conducting experience with such a talented group of musicians.”
“We had pretty hard music this year for both chamber and concert choir, but both groups came through and put on a really good concert,” said Mr. Burden, a senior and veteran choir member. “My favorite chamber piece was Five Hebrew Love Songs by Eric Whitacre. The whole song is beautiful, with five separate parts that show different parts of love.”
Mr. Burden’s said his favorite concert choir song was 21 Guns. “I personally love the arrangement and the audience really got into it, at both the winter concert and in-school concert,” he said. “The whole concert came out great, with much hard work and preparation. The other groups were amazing too!”
The chamber choir consists of: Soprano I: Kristin Berner, Chelsea Holmes, Monica Owen, Emily Sager; Soprano II: Katherine Gerdes, Alexa Gorczycki, Madison Lofaso, Meaghan McArthur, Stephanie Shea; Alto I: Alexa Antonucci, Jamie Castillo, Julia Dupree, Sarah Mosden, Kara Talve; Alto II: Miranda Cahill, Chinasia Celestin, Taivon LaPalmer, Olivia Liepa, Brianne Neira; Tenor I: Declan Byrne, Exzayvian Crowell, Kevin McConnell; Tenor II: Darius Nash, Landary Rivas, Alex Ulloa, Justin Waite; Bass I: Nicholas Arleo, Zachary Burden, Daniel Mollitor, Benjamin Whitcher; Bass II: Mattison Chadwick, Salvatore Martello, Ryan Newell, Mitchell Robles.
The concert choir consists of: Soprano I: Kristin Berner, Cassandra Berwick, Emma Black, Rachel Evans, Chelsea Holmes, Kaiya Idler, Melany Lanham-Ciancia, Monica Owen, Stephanie Powers, Emily Sager; Soprano II: Katherine Gerdes, Alexa Gorczycki, Madison Lofaso, Meaghan McArthur, Stephanie Shea, Chanelle Brown, Diamond Cabrera, Anna Ardell, Olivia Baldanza, Arelis Batista-Pacheco, Carolanne Buoniello, Michaela Carnesi, Grace Gedeon, Ashlee O’Donohue, Madeline Shea, Molly Warren, Mary-Kate Wolber, Christiana Reinertsen, Isabel Galasso; Alto: Katherine Acevedo, Emma Alexander, Sarah Aloe, Alexa Antonucci, Allyson Arleo, Caroline Berejka, Miranda Cahill, Chinasia Celestin, Jamie Castillo, Lois Choi, Shannon Contino, Jessica Cortes, Manyara Cuadra, Casey DeVille, Julia Dupree, Charlotte Harman, Zakiyyah Harris, Rashulullah Huitt Vann, Taivon LaPalmer, Olivia Liepa, Caroline Maggio, Aurelia Medina, Sarah Mosden, Annalise Mozer, Brianne Neira, Ingrid Oliva, Bailey Riordan, Catherine Rizzo, Kayla Ryan, Dianna Schmitt, Meghan Scolo, Kara Talve, Hiep Tran, Maria Veliz, Michelle Veliz, Carina Vilorio; Tenor: Andrew Aprigliano, Declan Byrne, Exzayvian Crowell, Kevin McConnell, Andew Gunthner, Kyle Meit, Javier Mendoza, Osvaldo Moreira-Gonzalez, Darius Nash, Landary Rivas, Jose Salmeron-Zeron, Alex Ulloa and Justin Waite; Bass: Khondoker Tazwar Akber, Nicholas Arleo, Zachary Burden, Mattison Chadwick, John Cronin, Corey Jamison, Amaru Jones, Jason Kessler, Salvatore Martello, Daniel Mollitor, Liam Mrotzek, Nicholas Newell, Ryan Newell, Mitchell Robles, Diego Rodriquez, Benjamin Whitcher.