MHS Orchestra and Chorus set to Perform on Dec. 19

The Millburn High School Orchestra and Choruses will present their Winter Concert on Thursday, Dec. 19 at 7:30 p.m. in the high school auditorium.

The Ninth Grade Chorus, Cantica Nova, will perform the traditional South African song “Gabí, Gabí” arranged by William Powell, “American Folk Rhapsody” arranged by Linda Spevacek and John Stevenson’s “The Last Rose of Summer” arragned by Peppie Calvar.

The Millburn Chorale will perform a set of Renaissance music.  Included are “Hodie Christus Natus Est” by Jan Jan Pieters Sweelinck, “Weep o min eyes” by John Bennett, and Claudio Monteverdi’s “Io mi son giovinetta” from his Fourth Book of Italian Madrigals.  The set will be capped off by two 20th century compositions, “The Blue Bird” a part song by Charles Villard and the closer from Brazilian composer Ernani Aguiar, “Salmo 150.”

The Chamber String Orchestra will perform Benjamin Britten’s “Simple Symphony” to acknowledge the composer’s 100th birthday.

The Symphony Orchestra will present the Overture to the opera Nabucco by Giuseppe Verdi in honor of his 200th birthday and the thrilling “A Night On Bald Mountain” of Modest Mussorgsky.

The Miller Chorus will perform a set featuring works by Eric William Barnum and Z. Randall Stroope.  Text painting is highlighted in Barnum’s “The Lady in the Water” and Stroope’s “All My Heart This Night Rejoices.”  Two folk songs will also be represented.  The American folk song “Blue Tail Fly” arranged by Richard Nance and popular South African folk song “Tshotsholoza” arranged by Jeffrey Ames.

The Chorus and Orchestra will combine forces to present “Coro di Schiavi Ebrei” from Giuseppe Verdi’s opera “Nabuco,” most commonly known as “Va pensiero.”  Mr. Rodrigo Vega directs the Choruses, and the Orchestras are under the direction of Mrs. Karen Conrad.  The concert is free and open to the public.