The Milton High School afterschool ensembles performed last night and filled the high school auditorium with music as crisp and bright as the day that preceded it.
MHS Girls Chorus
The afterschool ensembles are groups of musicians that meet before or after school to rehearse. They include;
- The Jazz Combo
- The Jazz Band
- The Jazz Band 2
- The Afterschool Singers (mixed)
- The Girls Afterschool Chorus
- The Boys Afterschool Chorus
- The Gospel Choir
- The 16th String (freshman string ensemble)
- The Senior String Ensemble
The Jazz Combo warmed up the crowd which performed a piece featuring some fantastic swapping of trumpet solos between Archibald and Kelly.
In a night full of small surprises (Jazz Band 2 has 2 French Horns! How cool is that!); one of the more notable was that there are now two string quartets. A quarter of freshman, dubbed The Sixteenth String, debuted, playing works by Mozart and Vivaldi.
Other highlights included Kiri Cormack belting out a great version of “On Broadway” with the Jazz Band, Ben McCarthy playing the cowbell as only he can (well, maybe Will Ferrell on SNL comes close), and the Boys and Girls choruses both went the Motown route.
Kyla Genieitis
The boys went with a Temptations medley and when singing “My Girl” paid tribute the chorus director by pointing to her. The girls sang a “Queen of Soul” medley featuring the work of Aretha Franklin. Kyla Geneitis took the lead on RESPECT. Suffice to say the audience respect and appreciation for all these ensembles was there.
It was a wonderfully varied performance and a testament to the range of musical talent that exists at the high school. We can’t wait for next year.