Music teachers Caitlin Donovan and Monique Retzlaff alternated their time on the podium as directors of the five vocal groups they conduct as the Freeport High School Spring Festival of the Arts concluded with the Choral Concert. The 18-song program featured renowned accompanist Ling Yu Hsiao on the piano.
Ms. Donovan's Concert Chorus was first up with their interpretations of Tomás Luis de Victoria's "Ave Maria," the traditional spiritual "Shine on Me," a medley from Les Misérables, and Steve Kupferschmid's "Deep Peace."
It was then Ms. Retzlaff's turn to direct the Mixed Chorus through precision vocalizations of "Grasslands Chant" from The Lion King, Mozart's "Ave Verum Corpus," and Ernani Aguiar's "Salmo 150."
The Ninth-Grade Select Chorus, led by Ms. Donovan, followed up with three songs that included Marta Keen's "Homeward Bound" featuring soloists Jenell Muir and Margaret Moore.
Ms. Retzlaff finished the night by first conducting the Select Chorale through John Rutter's "Gloria" and Andre Thomas's "Beautiful City," a pair of songs they had performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. They followed this with David L. Brenner's "The Circles of Our Lives," a song they had performed at Carnegie Hall. Ms. Retzlaff remained on the podium to lead the Combined Chorus and Alumni for a two-song finale, concluding with the traditional spiritual "Ride the Chariot" featuring soloist Crystal Jackson.
