FHS Students Shine in 'A Chamber Concert'

Foxborough's music directors spoke very little between music sets at Thursday's Chamber Concert - simply letting the music speak for itself. 

The annual FHS Chamber Concert featuring the Clarinet Choir, Flute Choir, Symphonic winds, Chamber Orchestra, String Orchestra, Wind Ensemble and a Cappella Choir delighted audience members last evening, May 26, by showing off a wide variety of range and technical skills.

The FHS Clarinet Choir, directed by Mark Miller, performed first. Easy, smooth sounds filled the High School auditorium as the group performed the complicated "Suite form The Threepenny Opera" by Kurt Weill arr.Miller. Students performing in the Clarinet Choir included Alex Boyd, Crissy Cavallaro, Katie Ennis, Elise, Eagan, Mairead Leahy, Brenna Lincoln, Rebecca Regan, Anna Sangree, Kayla Scheffler, Nadia Sweeney, and Brendan Thomas.

Lori Zeigler Halt's Flute Choir was on point, playing playful melodies including "Comedian's Gallop." Graduating FHS seniors Megan Fusco (UMass Ahmerst), Elsie Helou (Emmanuel College) and Celine Haddad (NYU) preformed a solo together in the silky sounding "Ave Verum." Students performing in the Flute Choir included Lindsay Anderson, Olivia Bradley, Nick Calnan, Megan Fusco, Maddie Gordon, Mary Greenway, Ally Grover, Victoria Gunn, Curtis Hudson, Angie Jepsen, Sarah-Kass, Mairead Leahy, John Mitchell, Lauren Shea, Megan Sullivan, Alyssa Teekema, Sierra Wilbar and Aiz Zia.

A Cappella Choir performed next - moving the audience to loud cheers and standing ovations. Christina Perri hit all the right notes in her solo during "Jar of Hearts." The big hit of the night came next with the Choir's clever performance of "The 4 Chord Song." James Basler and Timmy Smith introduced the song by saying that most major music hits are based off of 4 cords. "The 4 Chord Song" took the audience through many of the major record hits over the years. From Michael Jackson, to Lady Gaga and Journey - the students were able to create a smash hit record of their own.  Timmy Smith "broke it down" in the song "Airplanes" by B.o.B. Smith never missed a word or wrong note in this hip hop hit. Courtney Davis, Sasha Greenhalgh, Maureen Sharpe, Nicky Kaveny, Lauren Field, Derek Wilson, Austin Conlon, James Basler, Rob Conlon, and Pat Thomas round out the choir.

Directors, George Murphy and Donny Albro, appeared humbled as they presented the students in the FHS Symphonic Winds. The first piece, "Fantasy on a Fiddle Tune" lived up to it's title as it took the audience away into their own fantasy. The next piece, "Gathering Places, Three Spirituals for Band" is a timeless and flawless. 

FHS Symphonic Winds:

Flute: Megan Sullivan, Curtis Hudson, Mary Greenway, Lauren Shea, Victoria Gunn, Nick Calnan

Clarinet: Katie Ennis, Alex Boyd, Brittany Thayer, Brenna Lincoln, Alicia Mortenson (Bass Clairnet), Rebecca Regan

Oboe: Brooke Dudek, Lauren Shea

Bassoon: Natalee Bruck, Olivia Bradley

Alto Saxophone: Austin Conlon, Lindsay Crook - Tenor Saxophone: Molly Ketchum - Baritone Saxophone: Aaron Young

Trumpet: Erin Pearson, Matt Melo, Olivia Winslow

French Horn: Simon Nelson, Emily Dykstra, Shannon Pearson, Kevin Eagan

Trombone: Caitlin Conger, Aidan Walter, John Mitchell - Tuba: Harrison Thrasher, Fabrice Louis-Letang

Percussion: Nick Adair, Jonathan Urquhart, Imanie Parsons-Lewis, Ryan Cataldo, Jessica Mohan - Euphonium : Dan Decker - String Bass: Alexa Dumont

The talented Cami Tedoldi, Director of FHS Chamber and String Orchestras, delighted the audience with a variety of string pieces. Soloists Maggie Cavanaugh and Eric Weiss both performed solos in the sophisticated "I.Vivace." The string orchestra performed J.S Bach arr. V. Nelhybel's "Contrapunctus I from "The Art of the Fugue" flawlessly.

Students in the Chamber Orchestra are Maggie Cavanugh, Eric Weiss, Brooke Orlando, Sam Davis, Brandon Dailey, Mackenzie Slyman, Ananya Yerremreddy, Michael Slaby, Shane Walsh, Courtney McCue, Connor Schultze, Max Davis, and Alexa Dumont.

Students performing in The String Orchestra included Maggie Cavanaugh, Eric Weiss, Brooke Orlando, Ananya Yerremreddy, Mackenzie Slyman, Michael Slaby, Manyzhe Sahand, Jesse Foley, Luigi Carbone, Julia Nicholson, Madison Crosby, Kim Elias, Jenn DeFazio, Sally Philbin, Lea Davis, Colleen McHugh, Robert Butler, Shane Walsh, Courtney, McCue, Eddie Dring, Chelsea Bouchard, Sam Davis, Brandon Dailey, Katie Torkelson, Connor Schultze, Max Davis, Alexa Dumont, and Robbie Haddad.

The evening ended on a high note with the FHS Wind Ensemble, directed by Stephen C. Massey. Celine Haddad performed another solo in the piece "Concertino." The pure talent displayed in the Wind Ensemble moved the audience to give a steady stream of applause. The timeless "Country Gardens" by Percy Aldridge Grainger was the perfect piece to end a memorable night.

FHS Wind Ensemble:

Flute: Celine Haddad, Megan Fusco, Sierra Wilbur, Elsie Helou, Aiza Zia, Angie Jepsen, Lindsay Anderson

Clarinet: Brendan Thomas, Elise Eagan, Kayla Scheffler, Crissy Cavallaro, Anna Sangree, Nadia Sweeney

Oboe/English Horn: Kathleen Sharpe, Rob Conlon, Brooke Dudek - Bassoon: Christopher Zerrip - Alto Clarinet: Katie Ennis

Bass Clarinet: Mairead Leahy, Alex Boyd

Alto Saxophone: Tyler Appel, Tristan Ballard, Lindsay Crook - Tenor Saxophone: Randall Parker - Baritone Saxophone: John Jepsen

Trumpet: Ray Fuller, Olivia Winslow, Jacob Dice, Matt Pearce

French Horn: Kevin Eagan, Shannon Pearson, Eddie Shine, Simon Nelson

Trombone: Cooper Vacherson, Dan Decker, John Mitchell, Caitlin Conger

Tuba: Roger Crocker, Eddie Boger

Percussion: Joanna Magnuson, Alex Olsen, Kevin Scollins, Sarah Kass, Nick Adair

Euphonium: Dan Decker

String Bass: Connor Schultze

Piano: Alex Olsen