TDMS Choir Concert Amazes Audience at Old St. Peter's Landmark
Leslie Sullivan counts the choir down to begin their performance. Photo Credit: Cole Goodwin
By Cole Goodwin
The Dalles Middle School choir left an indelible impression on the audience during its spring choir concert at Old St. Peter's Landmark Church on Tuesday, March 7, 2023. The event was a resounding success, and attendees couldn't stop raving about the exceptional performance of the choir. The music selections were nothing short of amazing, and the students' hard work and dedication shone through in every note.
The choir's director, Ms. Leslie Sullivan, was visibly elated by the success of the concert. "In 18 years of teaching, I've never had a choir get to this level," she said. "It's not very often that I've been able to have a choir get to this point, and I'm incredibly proud of my students."
TDMS choir at St. Peter’s Landmark on Tuesday March 7th, 2023 Photo Credit: Cole Goodwin
The concert began with "Medieval Gloria," a Madrigal choral piece by Vijay Singh sung in Latin that expertly utilized the acoustics of the space and set the tone for the rest of the night. "Cantamos!" by James M. DesJardins was also performed to great applause. The Dutch folk song "Sarasponda" and Italian folk song "Ma Bella Bimba" arranged by Ruth Boshkoff and Donald Moore respectively showcased the versatility of the choir.
The highlight of the night was the performance of "Why Does the Willow Weep?" arranged by Ruth Elaine Schram and "Wynken, Blynken, and Nod" arranged by Blake Rickter and Ryan Main which included a performance by soloist Sienna Mondragon, violin accompaniment by Ms. Robin Denning, and piano accompaniment by Ms. Barbara Haren. The Kponlogo drum played by Yahir Cornejo and tambourine played by Zachary Pothier added a unique African touch to the performance, leaving the audience spellbound.
Zachary Pothier, Yahir Cornejo, Robin Denning, and Barbara Haren provided musical accompaniment for the choir. Photo Credit: Cole Goodwin
Ms Sullivan leads the choir while Zachary Pothier, and Yahir Cornejo provided musical accompaniment. Photo Credit: Cole Goodwin
“I encourage all my choirs to be storytellers, said Sullivan, “They have to expound on the music to tell a story and they do that through dynamics, which is volume, articulation which is how you sing the note, and until now I haven’t been able to get to a level where we could get that technical about articulation such as staccato, accents, and cutoffs. The way they’ve responded is amazing.”
Sullivan said that community building had played a big part in getting students to engage at a higher level of musical expression.
“This choir and I really connected. It was a matter of building community, and building relationships with them, and building trust. We spent the first three weeks of the Trimester just trying to learn to trust the crazy purple haired lady and it worked and here we are and they killed it. I’m super proud of these kids,” said Sullivan
The concert ended on a high note with the announcement of the upcoming performances by the music department, including the 7th-grade band and choir school board performance on March 16th, 2023 and the TDMS marching band Cherry Festival Parade on April 22, 2023. The choir's upcoming production of Disney's "Moana Jr.” on May 12-13 and 19-20 of 2023 also generated excitement among the audience. Ms. Sullivan also gave thanks to St.Peter’s Landmark for donating the space for the choir to use.
The TDMS Music Department, under the leadership of Ms. Leslie Sullivan, has proven its excellence. To support TDMS music, the department encourages the community to register thier Safeway Club Cards with eScrip and sign up to have eScrip donate 4% of everything you spend at Safeway to The Dalles Middle School Music program. Fred Meyer shoppers can also support by logging in to their rewards cards online and selecting “The Dalles Middle School Music” as the recipient to have Fred Meyer donate a percentage of what you spend to school’s music program. The choir's ongoing fundraiser, selling pepperoni and teriyaki sticks and World's Finest chocolate bars, will help pay for spring trips and festivals. The department is also selling raffle tickets to win a 2023 Toyota Camry.
The fundraising table at the concert on March 7th, 2023. Photo Credit: Cole Goodwin
The concert was a grand success and a testament to the hard work and dedication of the TDMS choir. The students, under the guidance of Ms. Sullivan delivered an outstanding performance that left the audience wanting more.
“That was the best middle school choir concert I’ve ever been to,” said one audience member.
If this concert was anything to go off of then TDMS Music Department's upcoming performances promise to be just as impressive and a must-see for anyone who appreciates exceptional music. Without a doubt, it will be interesting to see what the results will be if these students choose to compete at the high school level.
“At the high school level it’s as competitive as sports,” said Sullivan. “At the middle school level we are given scores that are parallel to what we would be given at the high school level but it’s not competitive.”
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