Classy. Elegant. Elite. Hamilton’s esteemed orchestra, choir and jazz ensemble tore the house down this past Saturday for parents and students alike. Dressed in a chic all-black uniform, Hamiltonian musicians tore the stage with a powerful, moving performance.
First under the golden lights of Wellin Hall was the orchestra. Heather Buchman, lead conductor, held the room as she walked us through what we would be feeling. 19th century German composer Robert Schumann marked the school year’s first orchestral performance. Performers had only had three weeks worth of rehearsals, but they held steadfast to Schumann’s triumphant and emphatic flow. After Buchman’s presentation of the pieces, a brief pause took over before nearly 50 Hamilton instruments and bodies worked in synchronization, flooding every corner of the room. It was like a hurricane. From my seat I was in the direct line of violinists, and their bows jittered in a way that was both violent and graceful. Something I noted was the way people’s matching black dress shirts crinkled as they worked their respective roles. It was as if they worked with the music, and it gave each individual performer a dynamic feel as they sat, deeply concentrated on strings, on brass buttons, on the sound.
Eric Chung ’28, cellist, gave his take on his cohort’s rendition of Schumann: “First movement is like you’re going through a wavy ocean, and it’s stormy and stuff, y’know? And the second movement is like, you’re out of the storm now. You’re just chilling. You’re making it home.”
After the stage was cleared, the Hamilton choir filed in. Their long, black frames loomed semi-ominously, waiting in reverence as Charlotte Botha gave the opening remarks. After a yearlong sabbatical, the choir director addressed the room in a friendly manner all the while serving distinguished music professional. The choir opened their songbooks and began to sing. Again, I wondered how it felt working for such a unified force. Together, they represented distinct vocal ranges that danced around each other. Their choir books, with white sheet music spilling over the manuscript frame, gave the appearance of every singer holding a dove with its wings outstretched.
After their angelic performance of Lux Aurumque by Eric Whitacre, Botha turned her attention back to the crowd to talk some about the history and place of American Choir. This coming spring semester, Hamilton Choir will make their debut in Ireland, repping the states in all fashions, but with a particular interest in gospel music. Gospel music developed and defined by Southern Black religious communities continues to be a hallmark of American culture, and thus Hamilton will be showcasing its beauty across the pond. The now-song-bookless choir snapped along as the atmosphere transformed from mystical serenity to a spirited, soulful buoyancy. Botha specifically ordered the crowd to jump, to yell, to cry and my only complaint was that the crowd did NOT deliver in this regard.
Lastly was the jazz ensemble. Doc Woods, Jazz Ensemble Director, introduced himself and his students as the final performances of the night. And they wasted no time jumping right into the swing of things. Standing at only eighteen performers, they were the smallest group of the night by far, but those numbers meant nothing in terms of their impact. If you listened closely, you could hear the piano, the saxophone, the electric guitar (which I didn’t anticipate in a jazz ensemble), the clarinet, the tuba and all the other amazingly complicated, beautiful instruments that I have not got names for. Due to their smaller grouping, you could be sure that every single performer had put the work in; there was no faking it ’til you made it in the jazz ensemble! And with such a diverse mill of apparatuses, there was no conductor for them to surround. Instead, they sat closer to the edge than any other and poured their hearts into the crowd head-on. Everyone slaughtered their solos despite the aforementioned three weeks worth of rehearsal time.
On behalf of the audience, I’d like to thank the Hamilton Music Department’s dedicated staff and students for fantastic work!
