A Rousing Finale to the 2011 Spring Concert Season

Thursday night’s concert at Greenvale Park Elementary School concluded the flurry of end-of-the-school year musical activities.  According to my unofficial tally (it’s possible I’m forgetting something), my three children performed in seven concerts in three weeks.  No wonder I haven’t had much time for blogging lately!  Here are the highlights, working backward:

Thursday, May 19: Elias performed with the fourth grade choir at the GVP choir and band concert.  Favorite moments: the reprise of “Fifty Nifty United States” (the fourth graders learned that song this year for their Circus of the States show) and the band’s performance of the “Minnesota Rouser,” while marching around the gym, directed by the ever-enthusiastic Roger Jenni.

Elias performs with the fourth grade choir.

Tuesday, May 17: Sebastian performed at a concert given by the middle school and elementary school orchestras.  Due to a scheduling error on my part, Steve and I didn’t attend because we had tickets to Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings at the State Theatre in Minneapolis.  I was sorry to miss Seb’s concert, but I was blown away by the energy of Jones and the talent of the band members.  We sat a few rows back from Seb’s jazz band director at the concert.  Maybe the middle school band will do a Dap Kings number next year?  That would be amazing.

Seb went to the Dairy Queen after his concert with his aunt, uncle and cousins, including Hannah, a fifth grader who won a savings bond in the Singing Tree Cello competition.  Congratulations, Hannah!

Thursday, May 12: Sebastian performed at the middle school bands’ spring concert.  He made us proud with his solo in the “Black Forest Overture.”  All the bands played well, but I thought the seventh grand band was particularly on that night.

Friday, May 6: As members of the Northfield Youth Choirs groups Anima and Troubadours, Louisa and Sebastian performed in an evening concert with the Platteville Children’s Choir at the Cathedral of Our Merciful Savior in Faribault.  My contribution:  I made two pans of lasagna for the pre-concert potluck dinner the Northfield choir members shared with the Wisconsin singers.

Monday, May 2: Louisa performed with the symphonic band at the high school band concert.  Her band’s rendition of Fireflies, a song by Owatonna native Adam Young of Owl City, was my favorite.  I also was impressed with the concert band’s performance of Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven.”

Sunday, May 1: It wouldn’t seem like spring without attending the Northfield Youth Choirs’ spring concert at St. Olaf College’s Boe Chapel.  Louisa had a solo in the welcome song, and Steve is still talking about her choir’s performance of “Bring Me Little Water, Silvy” by Huddie Ledbetter (aka Lead Belly).  Seb’s choir, the Troubadours, did a nice job, too, and I loved the younger choir’s song “Trolls” by Clifford Crawley.

Thursday, April 28: Louisa got to spend her birthday evening at the high school and middle school jazz bands concert.  Seb’s band performed three numbers, including one written by his director, Ethan Freier.  Watching the talented high school drummer Jon Fried perform was a concert bonus.

Sebastian is one of eight trumpets in the middle school jazz band.

Although the My Musical Family spring concert series has concluded, that doesn’t mean we’ll take a break from music this summer.  Louisa will perform at the Pacific International Children’s Chorus Festival (PICCFEST) in Eugene, Ore. June 21-27 with the Northfield Youth Choirs.  Sebastian is in rehearsals for the musical 13, a Northfield Arts Guild production that runs for two weekends in July.  And, Louisa, Seb and Elias all will continue with music lessons this summer.

That should provide me with plenty of blogging material until school starts again next fall.  Stay tuned!