Music

A very dynamic and fun concert in a full Spaulding Auditorium.  A number of beautiful African songs, with great drum accompaniment.

There were 4 people in the band: guitar, bass guitar, percussion and drums.  The guitar and percussion had a very distinct sound and beat, very engaging.

Towards the end, she expressed disappointment that people weren’t dancing.  That was enough: the last few songs were a lot of fun, especially when she walked through the audience, and everyone sang the refrain that ended with “Africa”.  And the song after that, everyone joined her on stage, and one little girl sang at the mike.

Throughout the show, she danced very dynamically.   Hard to believe that she has a daughter just finishing at Yale!  No wonder there was no Q&A with the audience after the show – instead it is tomorrow afternoon.

Angelique Kidjo Program Notes

The Hanover High School Music Department presented an ambitious program, opening with Finlandia.  The orchestra did a creditable job.  The group included a few community members, but also some middle school students, so they got a taste of high school.

The next piece was an Telemann concerto for two violas, which is an unusual combination. But there were two graduating seniors who play viola, Olivia Hinch and Felix Herron.  Both did a very good job, particularly Felix in the 4th movement.

The Footnotes and Chorus then did 4 vocal pieces.

The final piece was a Schubert Mass, with chorus and orchestra.  This was a very beautiful piece, and there were some nice vocal solos, particularly Lily, Marie and the Agnus Dei.

At the end, Chorus Director Jennifer Chambers thanked retired Jane Woods who had covered during maternity leave.  I have no doubt that she was able to step in and flawlessly fill in, even with such challenging pieces.  Well done!

Masterworks Program

A fun vocal extravaganza at the Hop, with a 20-piece band and backup singers and a sell-out crowd..  There were 6 finalists: Nikhil Arora, Grace Carney, Stephanie Everett, Sean Haughey, Chelsea Lim, and Jimmy Ragan.

They all did a really good job, but for me, the standout was Nikhil Arora with a smooth, flawless “I’m not the Only One”  by Sam Smith.  My second vote was Chelsea Lim, particularly for her duet in the second half.  Interestingly, all 3 in my party had the same votes.

It turns out that the winner was Grace Carney, a previous finalist, and a strong performer and singer.  The crowd loved her version of “Creep” by Radiohead, but I found her voice a bit too screechy in parts.

The concert was very professional, but sometimes Walt Cunningham seemed to take too much attention and time.  This was especially apparent for the last duet, where he made extensive thank you’s while Nikhil and Grace waited to perform “Stairway to Heaven”.

More details in The D

Judges:

• Kaitlyn Sheehan Ramirez ’09 Tuck ’16 (idol contestant)
• Jake Gaba ’16, last year’s winner but not particularly eloquent as a judge
• Tara Joshi ’18

Hosts

• Carina Conti ’16, just finishing from the lead in Dartmouth Theater’s “Chicago”
• Aaron Cheese ’18
• Nick Vernice ’18

Rhythm and Dance of India playbill

Rhythm and Dance of India study guide

Although we weren’t enthusiastic about going out, we did venture to Spaulding.  When the show started, I remembered why I got these tickets – from the last time I saw them at the Hop.  These Yamato guys and gals put on a great show.

They passed around earplugs to folks in the front – I’m not sure if they were necessary.  The huge drums were loud, and you could feel their beat deep in your guts.  The group showed amazing synchronization, even at extremely high speed.  We learned that they live together in Nara, Japan.  They start each morning with a 10 km run, and then do weights until lunch. After lunch, they practice drumming until 10 pm.  No wonder they work well as a team.

The drums are made of keyaki wood, which is a type of Japanese elm.  One of the large drums is from a 400-year old tree.  The skin is cowhide, and a junior audience tester said not so bouncy.  But it might depend on the size of the drumstick, which can be as big as a baseball bat.

The program was entitled Bakuon: Legend of the Heartbeat, where the drum pulse is meant to be like a heartbeat.  The group is very energetic, including the director (and performer) Masa Ogawa.  There were some zany hairstyles that contributed to the action of the show as they danced.

The Q&A after the show was fun, with a couple of kids who got to try the drums, including one who was given his very own drumsticks after he tapped out his own rhythm.  We also learned about the logo on the big drum, a 3-part yin yang representing heaven, earth and people.

Program Notes

Yamato study guide