Dance Concert Review Essay

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The highlight of this shared high school winter concert on December 13th was a memorable performance of “Savada khmer” (A Cambodian Folk Song arranged by Ricardo Padreres) performed by the San Jose High School’s Chamber and Intermezzo Orchestra conducted by musical teacher Sophia Fojas . The music’s difficult mixed meters were played with mistakes, out-of-tune notes, and a whole lot of nervousness between the two groups. The school’s Mariachi group also had a shot at the limelight and they kind of blew it, the vocals group was out of tune the whole time. Ms. Fojas also conducted “Petite Tango” by the excellent composer C.B Kriechbaum; Fojas tried to bring out the work’s colors and balances, alas it was all for nothing because, the Chamber orchestra was so out of tune. (Not that it mattered to the tone deaf audience.) These kids were clearly well-prepared with the…show more content…
Then, the Mariachi took a swing at unintonation. The group was composed of two parts: an instrumental part and a vocal part. They played “Amor De Los Dos” a Mexican love, song written by Gilberto Parra Paz. I actually know the piece very well, while it was played all right but, I just can’t stress of intonation being off the whole time. All in all I was simply satisfied with major mediocre performance of the mariachi group. Their program consisted of Ron Nelson’s Rocky Point Holiday and Eric Whitacre’s The Seal Lullaby–both instantly enjoyable; an appealing arrangement of Verdi’s La Forza Del Destino Overture; H. Owen Reed’s catchy La Fiesta Mexicana and Carnival; and John Astacio’s marvelous Frenergy. The selections were nicely varied and well-prepared. The excellent conductors included Micah Ewing, Avious Jackson, and Mason High School Band Director Robert Bass, plus world-renowned clinician, conductor, and adjudicator James F. Keene, who also guest conducted the John Hersey

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