The VAPA student orchestra is showcasing their latest composition in their fall concert, Wonder, “an evening of music dedicated to the dreamers, romantics, and optimists.” The event included three poems by Annette Wynne which set the tone for the following songs that were played throughout the show. The concert was hosted on October 26, in the CKM auditorium. If you missed it, be sure to catch their winter show to take place later in the school year!
The concert was very diverse in the music that was showcased, including not only the VAPA orchestra but multiple songs with the jazz band, as well as a few songs with a full choir. The latter was the most surprising, but all parts of the showcase were equally impressive.
The first half of the concert began with the poem, “I Like to Wander off Alone”, by Annette Wynne, which describes curiosity for nature and the world. The songs that followed the poem continued this theme, beginning with “The Bird” by F.J. Haydn and Matthew Moreno and finishing with “Sonata for Flute & Piano” by Francois Poulenc. The sonata seemed to be a highlight of this half of the show, since a few people almost started to clap in the middle of the song, despite it never pausing for applause. Whether this was enthusiastic or accidental, it showed the audience’s appreciation of the show.
After a short intermission, the second half of the show began with the orchestral song, “Afterburn” by Randal Standridge, only to be followed by a performance from the jazz band; It was quite the switch, but the jazz band was so well organized that it flowed smoothly. Songs played during the jazz section of the show were also accompanied by vocals from Cara Taylor, which complimented pieces like “S’Wonderful” by George and Ira Gershwin very well and gave more excitement to an already lively performance.
The second part of the last half of the show was marked by a final poem, “You Can Measure a Steeple” by Annette Wynne, which was followed by songs like “Moonlit Skies” by Sean O’Loughlin. This song in particular was accompanied by a screen that rolled down during the song to display pictures of the moon. This song was the only one to have a visual aid, but it complimented the piece well, making the whole performance feel very calming.
To finish the concert, the entire orchestra played a rendition of Katy Perry’s “Firework”, a familiar song to those who go to football games as that’s the only other place it had been performed before. With the lyrics performed by brass instruments, the show ended on a very playful note, as opposed to the incremental style of previous songs.
At the end of the show, it was announced that the orchestra would be auditioning for some bigger performances later this year, mentioning that it is important to get some quality videos for their performances for that reason. Hopefully, this concert will allow the VAPA music team to get many more opportunities in the future. Keep up with their newest concerts via their Instagram, @ckmvapa, or future announcements like this!