Choral Concert Reflections

         This past Friday, April 19, the Lawentians and Lawrenceville Singers worked together to present the Spring Choral Concert, one of two annual choir performances, in the Edith Memorial Chapel. Compared to Lessons and Carols, which focused on bringing the school community together, the most recent event aimed to showcase students’ singing capabilities and vocal ranges. 
        Nicole Halucka ’26, a member of the Lawrentians, thoroughly enjoyed her concert. Compared to her experience last year, in which she practiced as a part of the Lawrenceville Singers once weekly, Halucka is grateful for the opportunity to participate in Lawrentians, an official class which meets four times a week. “More frequent practices meant that I got to perform a larger…repertoire,” she explained. More specifically, the Lawrentians performed “jazzy and Latin songs as well as the more traditional choir songs.” “We got to sing ‘Carmina Burana,’ which is such an iconic song,” she established as the highlight of her  night. While Halucka described all the pieces as challenging, she found it particularly difficult to pronounce Latin words in some of the pieces. Despite the obstacles, Halucka felt fortunate to have expanded her social circle and met new performers through the  program. “I got to meet a lot of upperformers through this experience,” she remarked, “[and] hearing their musical journeys really inspired me.” In the future, Halucka hopes to “receive more recognition as a part of the singing community,” since the turn-up rate for the event was lower than she expected.Isaac Moon ’27 added to Halucka’s positive memories from the night. “I loved singing with my friends and enjoying a shared experience in the spotlight after long practices together,” he noted. During the performance, Moon loved how he “merged [his] voice with other members into one joint voice” and how this shared voice touched the audience. “I was able to be a part of something greater than myself and witness the joy on other people’s faces,” he added. Furthermore, Moon enjoyed the Lawrentian’s delivery as well as their dedication to their crafts. “Ryan Ding’s ’25 solo piece was really moving,” he specified. Ultimately, for Moon, the Choral Concert “reflect[ed] the unity of the community and how students can work together,” while the Lawrenceville Singers strengthened his resilience by holding early practices at 8 AM. Looking ahead, Moon hopes that the Spring Choral Concert could be better advertised. Moreover, Moon encourages students to “continue spreading the word” on the event to increase the turn-up rate: “It’s truly an amazing opportunity that is open to everyone.”
        The Spring Choral Concert also marks Daphne Volpp’s ’24 last choir performance at the School. Since her sophomore year, Volpp has been an active member of the Lawrentians. While she was not involved in the singing community her freshman year due to Covid restrictions, Volpp described her participation in the group as a “special and defining memory of Lawrenceville.” Before enrolling at the School, Volpp was already an experienced singer: “I was in a professional choir that traveled to Australia together and sang in front of the Pope,” she recalled. Compared to her past experience, where Volpp “sang at a professional choir with people that [she] knew well and grew up with,” the Lawrenceville performing arts community was more “relaxing and stress-free” and allowed her to “meet individuals from different grades.” Furthermore, Volpp’s position as a V Former in the singing community allowed her to refine and revisit choral pieces that she had been singing for the past few years. “I sang ‘Sure on the Shining Night’ for the first time during my sophomore year, and it always reminded me of the graduating class,” she explained, “and now that I am a part of the graduating class, it feels even more special.” Ultimately, Volpp felt that the “trade-off of not having a free during junior year, when classes are really busy, was worth it.”
        Overall, the Spring Choral Concert was a highlight of the month that united the student body while showcasing the passion, dedication, and ability of the singing community at Lawrenceville.