On Monday, November 10, harmonic melodies filled Mary Eliot Chapel thanks to the first Middle School choir concert of the year! Called Joyful Our Praise; Singing In Glad Celebration, this special daytime concert was conducted by Jason Roberts, Middle School Choir Teacher, and featured choral musicians from fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth grades. The students sang songs of gratitude, growth, and generosity by various poets such as Walt Whitman, Charles Anthony Silvestri, Amy Bernon, and more.
To kick off the concert, students sang Come Travel With Me by Walt Whitman, a song about the adventure of life and joining one another as we travel life’s metaphorical roads filled with challenge, heartbreak, and adventure. Following that, they sang She Sings by Amy Feldon Bernon, which reminds us to find what we love and pursue it.
Next, the Concert Choir previewed a few songs that they will showcase at the upcoming Winter Concert in December. They shared a Hebrew piece called Al Shlosha D’varim by Allan Kaplan, which included a small ensemble solo sung by Emma Fouke ’30, Lucy Meyer ’30, Charlie Miller ’30, Johanna Sanchez ’30, and Alice Tarver ’30. The song’s text comes from Jewish morality laws, which hold that the world is sustained by three things: truth, justice, and peace.
Before the next song, Roberts explained, “My goal this fall semester was to introduce the Concert Choir to several songs in other world languages from various genres and from various points in music history.” Starting with French, the Concert Choir next performed a song that Roberts sang in high school, Je Le Vous Dirai by Pierre Certon. The song is all about a young woman who loves a man who is much lower than her station, and the townsfolk can’t help but gossip. The song’s title translates to “I’ll Say It Anyway.”
Next, the Concert Choir performed For This Joy, which includes a famous Lobe Denn Herren hymn tune. This version of the song recognizes the beauty of the world that we live in, and one of its lines inspired the choir concert’s name: “Joyful our praise; singing in glad celebration.” This song featured the accompanist for the day, John Cargile, and our own Ethan Forte, Middle & Upper School Fine Arts Teacher, on cello.
Continuing with singing of gratitude, the Fifth and Sixth Grade Charger Choir sang two traditional American folk songs: Simple Gifts and Shenandoah. Simple Gifts is about being grateful for living simply, and Shenandoah speaks of the beauty of the land in this Midwest Shenandoah Valley. Roberts said, “I would like to invite you to take this time to remember the beautiful spots here in America you’ve been fortunate enough to see…take this moment to reflect on your own gratitude for this land we call America.”
Since the concert took place the day before Veterans Day, Roberts encouraged everyone to reflect and remember those who served our nation through the United States military. “When you have the opportunity, please remember to share those five important words: ‘Thank you for your service,” he said. Then, students sang My America with original poetry by Joyce Eliers combined with the classic American patriotic piece My Country ‘Tis of Thee.
Lastly, the concert concluded with students singing Bonse Aba, a Zambian folk song that translates to: “All who sing have the right to be called the children of God.” Eric Taylor, Middle School Dean & Band Teacher, joined this final number by performing on the djembe, a West African drum.
In reflection after the concert, many students took a few moments to talk about what they’re learning in choir and their favorite parts of the concert:
“My favorite lesson may have been that when you hum, you should act as if you’re putting a marshmallow in your mouth, and it will lengthen your vowels,” explains Fallon Randall ’31. Emma Fouke ’30 learned a lot about teamwork from choir. “Being part of Concert Choir means being part of a team, and being part of a team means having a ‘we before me’ mindset,” she said. “I think this is my favorite lesson because I have actually seen this in action. While Mr. Roberts definitely has burned this into our brains, we have all seen what happens when we all work as individuals versus when we put each other’s goals in mind.”
Joyfulness was not just part of the title of the choir concert; it was part of the singing experience for many students. “In Monday’s choir concert, I loved singing with all of my peers. Music and singing make me so happy, and I felt so much joy up on that stage,” reflects Julia Leonard ’30. “My favorite song that we sang was Je le Vous Dirai, which is an a capella French song. It is so much fun to sing because of the different layers of harmonies, and I think that our choir sang it very well. I have had so much fun in choir so far this year, and I’m so excited for what is to come!”
Students had a number of different favorite songs. “The song I most liked was Bonse Aba because I had a solo, and it was more upbeat and fun,” said Fallon. Henry Walsh ’33 notes Bonse Aba as his favorite song, too: “I really enjoyed singing Bonse Aba because it was really catchy.” David Keech ’30 enjoyed learning Je Le Vous Dirai for the first time, and it was his favorite song to perform. “My favorite song for the concert was Al Shlosha D’varim. I also really liked performing For This Joy because it has such a powerful message, and I really enjoyed it,” Samara Sisson ’30 shares. Samara also grew in confidence as a performer. “I’ve learned to be confident in my voice and not be afraid of other people hearing me, which has helped with my confidence in general,” she says.
Roberts is pleased with his choral students. “I’m so proud of these young musicians on our first concert of the year,” he said. “They’ve shown tremendous musical growth in such a short time and have created some absolutely beautiful music in our rehearsal space. We continue to grow as an ensemble, and it seems that 2025-2026 is going to be another incredible year of music-making. I was so grateful for Mr. Forte, Mr. Taylor, and our accompanist, John Cargile, who joined us for the day as we created incredible music together.”
Thank you, Mr. Roberts and Middle School choir students, for the gift of your beautiful concert on Monday!