Concert bands, choirs shine during Steel Valley Music Department's spring concert

The middle school and high school concert bands and choirs shined during the Steel Valley Music Department's annual spring concert on Tuesday, May 5 in the high school auditorium.

With spring in the air, several of the selections performed by the ensembles had themes of optimism and joy. The concert bands opened the show under the direction of Mr. Christopher Petricca, with the fifth through seventh grade band taking the stage first. They immediately shared some fun with the audience with a rendition of the classic "Can-Can." After they performed more dramatic pieces featuring a twist on Edgar Allen Poe's famous poem in "The Raven" and the thematic "Castles and Dragons," the concert band finished with the upbeat "Regal March."

The high school concert band, which includes eighth graders, took the stage next and began with the bright "Sunchaser," which featured a solo by percussionist Loghan Muha. The band shared a love of the '80s and pop culture with a medley of songs featured in the hit show "Stranger Things," which included a feature by percussionist Dante Hruska. "Electricity" included the use of a gong dipped in water, while "Dominion of the Sky" featured solos by Jacob Wright on trumpet, Chase Morrison on trumpet, and Elaina Fedoris on percussion.

The concert band concluded their performance with selections from Carl Orff's famous piece "Carmina Burana," which included solos by Peter Bos on baritone saxophone, Kamerin Morrison on alto saxophone, and Loghan Muha on percussion.

After a short break, the Middle School Forge Voices Choir and director Mr. Andrew Roberts took the stage, beginning with the seventh graders performing a rendition of "Ho Hey" by the band The Lumineers. Various combinations of grade levels performed "If I Don't Need Anything But You," "If I Climb a Mountain," "The Tailor of Gloucester," and "The Arrow and the Song." For the final song in their set, the middle school students were joined by the high school concert choir for a performance of the classic American folk song "Shenandoah."

The high school concert choir stayed on the stage for five additional songs, beginning with "Persevera et Supera," which was written by a local composer. The choir added a bit of melancholy to the show with a rendition of Green Day's ballad "Good Riddance," which was followed by performances of the songs "Measure Me Sky" and "Sing With the Lark."

The concert choir wrapped up the evening with a performance of "Fly," which referenced dreams and aspirations, which is perfect as we approach commencement and the end of the school year. 

Thank you to Mr. Petricca, Mr. Roberts, the student performers, and everyone who helped put the spring concert together. Enjoy a few photos from the evening in our gallery.