On May 28, the Green Hope Chorus had their spring concert. The concert’s run time was around an hour and a half and it consisted of multiple songs, all performed exceptionally. The concert’s theme was pop music, with almost all songs coming from movies or a pop artist. This was the choir’s last concert of the year, making the performance as a whole extremely sentimental and emotional for all of the GHHS chorus. 

The spring concert consisted of 16 songs over the course of two hours. All choirs sang ‘MLK’ by Bono with soloists Alison Hurwitz a community member, and Joshua Caldwell (‘27), ‘Dos Oruguitas’ by Lin Manuel Miranda with soloist Luca Lemelle, ‘For Good’ by Stephen Schwartz with soloists Hadley Hock (‘29), Remy Owens (‘26) and Sophia Lin (‘27) and ‘Ominia Sol’ by Z. Randall Stroope. The Tenor and Base Ensemble sang ‘Glory’ by John Legend with soloists Enzo Rossato (‘27), Charlie Du (‘26), Caleb Holm (‘27) and Lathan Joof (‘26) and ‘Found/Tonight’ arranged by Michael Rosewall. The Begging Treble choir sang ‘Bring Me Little Water Silvey’ arranged by Podd Brothers with soloists Marilyn Bush (‘28), Alannah Bambach (‘28) and Hanna Lee(‘28) and ‘Both Sides Now’ by Joni Mitchell with soloist Huilin Yu (‘28). The Beginning Treble choir and Advanced Treble choir sang ‘Rainbow’ arranged and written by choir member Carmen Stracuzza (‘26). The A Cappella Club sang ‘Dance the Night Away’ by Dua Lipa from the Barbie Movie with soloist Suby Maukhejee (‘27) and the Barbershop Club sang ‘You’ve Got a Friend in Me’ by Randy Newman. Advanced Treble Choir sang ‘Keep it Movin’ by Halle Bailey, and ‘Light of a Clear Blue Morning’ by Dolly Parton –  arranged by Craig Hella Johnson – with soloist Alexis Roberts (‘26) and ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ by Paul Simon with soloists Claire Nelson (‘26) and Danielle Sanchez (‘26). Voices of Hope sang ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ by Queen and also ‘And So it Goes’ by Billy Joel with soloist Yihuo Du (‘26).

Mr. Allen Botwick, Green Hope Choir’s director, shared some of his favorite memories and experiences from the spring choir concert. “My favorite part of the spring concert primarily is just how intentional I’m able to be about making eye contact with everybody and the seniors and just smiling and encouraging them, celebrating their last concert.” Botwick shared. “‘Glory’ was a song on my bucket list for a while and I had never had the group do it until this year, so it was really neat to put it together,” he noted. “Overall I am really proud of all the chorus ensembles. I think if you were in the audience at the concert and saw our chorus expressing themselves you would see how you can find joy through music.” Botwick states about the joy chorus students show.“That’s what I’m most proud of, that people were able to sing on stage with their hearts and be authentic and vulnerable with their sound.” Botwick states about the choir’s vulnerability.

Laura Boyle (‘28), a Green Hope Beginning Treble Choir student, shared how the emotions and interactions of the Spring Chorus Concert affected her. “My favorite part of the concert was that afterwards I was talking to a senior who was one of my former teammates and he told me some wonderful advice that you only live in high school once, so make lots of memorable memories.” Boyle states about time flying  by and valuing high school memories and experiences. “My favorite song performed was Bohemian Rhapsody because it sounded absolutely awesome and I just loved how everybody was just happy to sing it,” Boyle described. “They all looked like they wanted to be there and they were just rocking out the entire time and I thought it was just really fun.” 

 The choir’s spring concert is the most emotional concert in the year due to the fact that it’s the seniors’ last concert before graduating. A tradition that has taken place every year is the seniors being allowed to go up to the microphone and say their name and what school they are going to during the instrumental beginning of ‘Omnia Sol,’ which is the choir’s concert closer. There are 29 choir singers who are graduating this year across all ensembles. Another choir tradition that is for the seniors at the last concert is wearing boutonnieres which are a small rose that is safety pinned onto the front of your suit or dress so that you stand out and are recognized as a senior. One of the most notable traditions that is widely known is the tradition of going to get Ice cream at Goodberry’s after the concert and celebrate all the choir has accomplished during the year.

The Green Hope Chorus program has performed exceptionally this year from their first concert in the fall to their winter concert to MPA in the spring to now they have grown in their performance, difficulty and singing abilities. The seniors may be leaving but the students that will be continuing chorus and those who will be joining chorus for the first time will help the program and community grow next year and many years after.