Carnegie Hall sets the stage for Guelph high school choir

The Guelph CVI choir is leaning into the holiday season in Manhattan with a globally recognized choral composer on a familiar stage.

For the second time the choir will be performing at Carnegie Hall but this time will be conducted by choral composer Eric Whitacre. He is a graduate from The Juilliard School and a Grammy winner whose compositions have been performed around the world. 

Many of the students knew who Whitacre was before knowing they landed their audition with their video submission for the performance.

There are 45 GCVI students that will be in Manhattan with 10 hours of rehearsal ahead of them with Whitacre in preparation for An Eric Whitacre Holiday performance presented by Distinguished Concerts International New York, a music production company, on Tuesday.

Last year the choir performed the song Dreamweaver by Norwegian composer Ola Gjeilo. The performance was part of the New England Symphonic Ensemble presented by MidAmerica Productions, an independent producer of choral concerts at Carnegie Hall.

This performance is the premiere of the orchestrated version of the song The Gift of the Magi. The lyrics tell a story of a couple who got swept up in consumerism and then realized what actually matters most during the holiday season is human connection and empathy.

They will also perform a choral composition of the book Goodnight Moon.

Many of the students recognized the book from their childhood and a copy of it was brought in by GVCI choir director Lane Osborne so they could get an understanding of the different sounds Whitacre uses based on the colours and images in the book. Performing this is moving for them and especially since they will be at Carnegie Hall to do it, said Osborne.

“I think there's so many voices that it's going to be really interesting to hear, like all the different layers of sounds that he's going to do and just a really nice lullaby type thing,” said Auguste Moore, a Grade 12 student and choir member. 

The students are grateful to have this opportunity and for some it’s their first time in Manhattan and at Carnegie Hall.

“I think it’s kind of starting to hit me, but I definitely think at the sound check and the day of it’ll kind of be a lot. But it’s also nice to know that I’m with all my friends. I’m with teachers who I have good relationships with. And there’s also so many singers so it’s not … on the individual, it’s kind of a collective effort,” said choir member Lily Bitton.

The choir has been busy rehearsing for this performance while also coming off of a performance with American rock band Modest Mouse at Toronto venue History last week. During rehearsal for it the lead singer, Isaac Brock, told Osborne that he’s never cried at a piece of music he’s written before. He was emotionally moved by the rehearsal of his song Wooden Soldiers.

“It's thrilling for us too. It's so wonderful just to see how happy it makes the kids. To be able to perform in those capacities is just life changing for some. We’re lucky we get to keep doing it,” said Osborne.