MKA Celebrates the Arts with Winter Music Concerts on all Three Campuses
The December 10th MKA Middle School Winter Choral Concert was a festive and joyous event featuring choruses in grades four through eight as well as the select Chamber Singers choir. Featured soloists in the Concert Choir (grades six through eight) were Cassie Polanskyi, Ella Breslawsky and John Colbert in "Winterlight" by Amy F. Bernon. All choirs joined together to end the evening with a wonderful rendition of "A Festive Noel" by Victor C. Johnson. We congratulate Mr. Charles Postas, our new MKA Middle School Chorus Director, on a wonderful debut performance.
The MKA Upper School Vocal Music Program on Friday, December 11th was truly fantastic. Under the direction of Choral Director Maria Gilmartin, the student performances that featured the Chamber Singers, Concert Choir and special guests the Advanced Strings Orchestra and the Unaccompanied Minors, were absolutely beautiful. A celebration of songs spanning over 250 years from classical, jazz and contemporary pieces wowed the audience. Congratulations to all!
The MKA Middle School Band Concert, Wednesday, December 16th was a festive occasion featuring a variety of musical repertoire directed by the wonderful, Linda Larkin. Our Fourth Grade Band, in their very first performance as a band, opened the concert with a Jingle Bell March and the theme from Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. The Fifth Grade Band made a dramatic entrance with a fanfare and procession followed by a joyful arrangement of the African folk song Siyahamba. The Sixth, Seventh and Eighth graders combined forces to tell the tale of "Archers in a Forbidden Forest" by Joseph Eidson and to celebrate the mix of cultures and people traveling through the mid-west with an exciting performance of "Crossroads" by Michael Oare.
On December 17th, MKA's Upper School celebrated the accomplishments of the MKA Concert Band and Jazz Band at their Winter Concert in Weiss Auditorium. Directed by the masterful Chuck Olsen, the Jazz Band performed Blue Q, St. Thomas, Mr. P.C. My Favorite things and Ran Kan Kan and the Concert Band wowed with the performances of Celebration Tribalesque, Crown Imperial, Into the Raging River, Buenaventura and Oogie Boogie's Song from "Nightmare Before Christmas." Congratulations to all 48 Jazz and Concert Band Members on a fantastic evening!
On December 18th, Primary School students rang in the holiday season with voices, bells and violins. The Winter Concert opened with selections by Primary School Strings students, led by Mrs. Karen Kamp and Mr. Dmitri Hadjipetkov. Mrs. Jane Smith once again expertly directed and beautifully accompanied each grade in special, joyful holiday selections, both vocal and instrumental. Madame Roure led both the third grade and the Pre-K in French holiday songs and Señora Banegas led the second grade in a traditional Hanukkah song sung in Spanish. Mrs. Marie Ihnen ended the concert with her violin accompaniment as the faculty sang. The entire concert was festively set with a "peace" backdrop that Mrs. Bates' second grade class painted with the help of third grade student, Alexis Urquhart, who drew the lettering.
To see pictures from all of the performances please click the links below: