The band and choral groups will travel to Palo Alto for the Heritage Festival on April 30, concluding the year’s musical events.
The schedule for performances is band at 9 a.m., jazz at 11 a.m., choir at 1 p.m. and ensemble at 3 p.m.
The first stop for the music department is at Los Altos for a workshop at the Baptist Church of Los Altos, headed by Dr. Charlene Archibeque, to prepare themselves for the festival the following day. Then they will perform at the Cubberly Performing Arts theatre in competition against 12 other schools.
Although the band and choir usually take separate trips, music department head Michael Ogdon arranged this joint venture in order to promote cooperation and teamwork.
“I am committed to group unity,” Ogdon said. “Traveling together has a way of bonding our group memberships and gives us a richer personal experience at the same time. It seems likes years ago that we did the Christmas Celebration Concert together, and I hope we can recapture some of what we built through combined rehearsals and public performance.”
Despite bringing so many groups, Ogdon plans to be able to lead all four during the day of the competition.
“I can only hope that all the groups get 100 percent of my attention, ability and focus,” Ogdon said. “The good thing is that all four groups will present, with their festival material roughly two hours apart from each other. They should have enough time to pull everything together.”
In preparation for the festival, the ensemble has devoted time to practice songs and refine its harmony. Senior Elizabeth Grossman said that these steps will benefit the group’s performance.
“I think that we will perform very well after practicing all the songs for so long,” Grossman said. “With such a small group, we have been able to concentrate on blending and emotion, rather than just learning notes and phrasing. I think that it sets a very high standard for us this year as we return to the same organization where the choir did so well last year.”
As a four-year choir member, senior Tyler Combs looks forward to this final festival.
“I’m going to have a good time there performing and listening to other choirs,” Combs said. “It is great because all we do is listen to the groups in our community compared to other choirs from different areas. I was surprised with how well we did last year, and this year I don’t think we’ll win, but I hope we do.”
Following the competition, the musical groups will go to nearby San Francisco to explore the city together.
“I’m really looking forward to hanging out on Pier 39 because it’s a really fun place to spend time walking around with friends,” Mary Heirholzer, ’12, said. “There’s tons of random stores and awesome places to eat, so it will be a nice time to relax and enjoy San Francisco.”
In the end, Ogdon said that he hopes the four groups will perform well and conclude the year with memories.
“I predict superior rating and outstanding memories for all,” Ogdon said. “I anticipate quality time spent together, memorable activities appreciated together and deepening relationships with each other and the Lord. I believe our school will be honored and our Lord be magnified.”
For more information, e-mail Ogdon or read the April 28 article, Concert band attends music workshops, Biola festival.
