On April 4th, last Tuesday evening, family and friends enjoyed an engaging performance by Ida B. Wells’ Choir and Chamber Orchestra programs. In an hour-long concert, audience members were presented to four groups: the Concert Ensemble, the Wells Advanced Vocal Ensemble (WAVE), Chamber Orchestra, and Wellsingers. The Spring Concert, unofficially titled the “Wish-it-were-Spring Concert” by Ms. Murer was a dynamic display of Wells vocalist’s coordination and harmony.

Despite being of modest size, the Concert Ensemble opened the show and carried themselves well through four different tunes. Led by piano, the group of six successfully set the bar for the rest of the performance, singing together in synchrony. Their songs included: “Good Night”, a classic Russian piece. Another was “The Dream Keeper”, a song adapted from a poem by African-American writer Langston Hughes.

After rounds of applause the Ensemble was followed by WAVE, who displayed a confident energy throughout their varying pieces. As noted on stage, the ensemble was able to self-conduct their 15-member group through three different songs. The Soprano section displayed a notable vocal range that was heard throughout the auditorium, while the Altos served as a stable undertone to the composition. 

The Spring Concert also saw the work of Ida B. Wells’ Chamber Orchestra, one of the few high school orchestras in the Portland area. The group proved small but compensated with its collective talent. The four violinists performed clearly with distinct chords. In one piece, they were able to pluck their strings to the music, hitting each note in unison. The cello and bass players also provided depth to the high pitch of the strings section.

The final performance of the show was Wellsingers, which is a choir of roughly 40 people, decked out in the traditional long, green robes. A pleasant aspect of the choir (as well as with WAVE) was its diverse makeup. A balance of male and female singers on stage created  multilayered melody’s. The choir sang a total of five varying songs, the last two; “When the Earth Stands Still”, “Nothin’ Gonna Stumble My Feet”, being swapped on the playlist out of preference from the choir. “Nothin’ Gonna Stumble My Feet” was particularly fun with its upbeat pace, which Ms. Murer conducted with swift hand gestures. 

This concert demonstrated the school’s vocal talent in a variety of performances, leaving the audience in standing applause at the finish. It demonstrated how singing can flourish in groups from six to 40 members, hearing their voices overlaid over another. Families and friends attending to see a loved one onstage could not help to admire the choir in its wholeness. The performances displayed a strong team effort and coordination among its different singers.

The Spring Concert followed the choir competition between Portland high schools that was held at Cleveland in early March. WAVE placed a close second behind Grant High School. In the same event, Wells’ Chamber Orchestra placed first. Later this month, Wellsingers will participate in another competition on April 12th, where they can qualify for the state competition.