On January 12th, musicians from 12 different high schools across Colorado gathered under the stage lights for their annual performance at the Boettcher Concert Hall in downtown Denver. They united beneath a common passion: music, whether it be from the strings of a violin, the mouthpiece of a flute, the voice of a singer, or beyond. The concert was a reflection of the students’ visible passion, dedication, and talent.
The concert began with the orchestra, directed by Dr. Renee Gilliland. Gilliland is a director and music educator at CU Boulder, and is renowned as a director and performer. Her enthusiastic directing techniques helped bring the orchestra together. They opened the concert with The Overture of Diamonds, a shimmering piece with twinkling background chimes. It reflected the multitude of diamond cuts and facets. They continued with The Karelia Overture, and finished with Danse Negre.
The choir came next, directed with precision by Dr. Coreen Duffy. Duffy also is a director and choral teacher at CU, and brought a unique religious perspective to the concert. In fact, one of the songs the choir performed was called Siman Tov, written by Duffy herself who comes from a Jewish background. It was a wonderful Hebrew piece that she wrote for her son years ago. The other songs performed included Agnus Dei (written between 1602 and 1678 by an Italian nun), Daniel, Daniel (an African American spiritual), Holding the Light, and The Last Words of David. 4 of the 5 songs performed were written by women, 2 of which were African American women.
The final group to perform was the band, under the direction of Dr. Daniel Farr who was originally from Miami. The program included Fanfare Esprit, Dum Spiro Spero (translated to When I Breathe, I Hope, and written by a Coloradan), and Skyward Spirits. It concluded with Symphonic Dance No. 3, subtitled Fiesta, which was a fun fusion of Latin beats and a band classic. The big, soaring sound the band gave the impression of flying over mountainscapes.
Finally, the concert finished it all off with an enchanting rendition of America the Beautiful. The orchestra, choir, and band joined together, resulting in one of the most powerful songs of the entire concert. The acoustics in Boettcher Hall only enhanced it, as voices and instruments resonated together.
As a whole, the Continental League Concert was an amazing experience for students to sing or play with talented musicians from other schools, as well as receive direction from several extremely experienced music educators. It is truly a celebration of the arts in education, and demonstrates the importance of continuing to support music in high school.
