Final hurrah for CC vocalists

Vocal department recognizes seniors, director for CCHS careers

By Kate Hayden

khayden@charlescitypress.com

The high school vocal department had a lot of talent on display Tuesday night –– starting with the Chamber Choir and Division I-rated vocal soloists; to a cappella group Unaccompanied Minors’ Scooby-Doo remix; to a song accompanied by tuned water glasses, and a final class goodbye to director Bradley Beale.

The show highlighted the choirs’ contest pieces from last weekend at the Large Group Festival, hosted by the Iowa High School Music Association. It also highlighted the variety. Under Beale’s direction, students put their own spin on madrigals, folk songs and Elvis Presley.

The Concert Chorale especially stood out, building their set around unique accompaniments: seven students ‘played’ water glasses in harmony through “Trees”. Full-body percussion took over the choir in “Tres Cantos Nativos dos Indios Krao” –– a song arranged by Marcus Leite using the linguistic elements of native Brazilian tribes and their environment. Those languages don’t have a translation, Beale told the audience; the give-and-take between members of the chorus made it memorable anyway.

In an interlude before the senior slideshow, graduating vocalists also recognized their director. Beale directed his last concert with the Comets before beginning graduate school next fall, and received a standing ovation from the audience and his choir students.

Division I vocalists were Olivia Wolfe, Maci Milks, Nathan Anthony, Kaitlyn Pellymonter, Emma Sheckler, Joe Iseneker, Kaylee Michael and John Perez. Also rated Division I was the small group ‘Barbershop Boys’: Perez, Nathan Anthony, Stephen Bachman, Tyreque Baker, Lucas Comito and Ryan Wolfe. Soloist Marquis Hatfield performed for Concert Chorale in “Trees”, and percussionist Olivia Hake accompanied Concert Chorale during all three of their songs.