By Hannah Park
All is quiet. All is still. Then, an “A” floats through the air. The sound, soft but insistent, is taken up by the rest of the orchestra. Tuned up, both the musicians and the audience turn to Kevin Tison, the conductor and director of the Vocal Music Program.
Knowing all eyes are on him, Tison looks left and right. His students, from the youngest freshmen in Concert Choir to the oldest alumni, smile back. Then, as if struck by lightning, Tison gives a flick of his fingers. The horns roar into being, the singers launch into melody and the concert begins.
With a full orchestra and a giant alumni choir ranging from newly-minted college students to grizzled adults, Concert Choir started the concert off with a bang. The performing ensemble sang “Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas” by John Williams, popularized by the movie “Home Alone 2.” Fountain Valley High School (FVHS)’s Color Guard even made a special appearance, twirling ribbons and leaping across the stage in elven costumes.
After the opening song, the hall welcomed another special guest: FVHS Principal Paul Lopez. Dressed in a sharp tuxedo, Lopez expressed his appreciation for the very special Segerstrom concert—after all, the Vocal Music Program only performs at this venue once every four years.
“It’s great to be back in a venue where we can hear our kids sing again,” Lopez said. “Tonight you will hear amazing voices. This [choir program] is off the charts!”
Lopez handed the microphone over to Tison. All smiles, Tison had nothing but warm wishes for the audience.
“I hope that tonight resonates deep within your soul,” Tison said. “We aren’t singing at you, we’re sharing with you. Sit back, enjoy…and welcome to Sounds of the Season!”
The beginning and intermediate choirs took the stage next, with unique arrangements of holiday favorites: “Sleigh Ride” by Leroy Anderson and “Bell Carol” (Ukrainian Bell Carol) by Heather Sorenson. Deep, snowy blue stage lights gave both songs a wintry atmosphere, and the orchestra sprinkled in whimsical sound effects, such as the clopping of horse hooves and ringing bells.
Concert Choir returned to the stage with a medley of Christmas classics, titled collectively as “Seasonal Sounds.” The advanced ensemble wowed the audience with their ability to shift tone colors: warm and rich one second, then bouncy and lighthearted the next. With a five-part harmony to “Rudolph, the Red-nosed Reindeer,” and seniors Josh Matthews and Peyton Sherwood performing a lively dance routine, dressed like Mr. and Mrs. Frosty (the snowmen), the medley was a splendid cocktail of elegance and humor.
The atmosphere grew more solemn as alumni Andréa Bond (‘87) and John Byun (‘88) took the stage, giving an operatic rendition of “Mary, Did You Know?” by Mark Lowry and Buddy Greene. With Byun’s deep vibrato complementing Bond’s soaring soprano lines, their interpretation sent chills through every listener.
After “White Christmas” by Irving Berlin, a strong performance by the Trouveres (beginning girls’ choir), Baron Choir (beginning guys’ choir) and Les Chanteurs (intermediate mixed choir), the audience was in for a surprise.
The BaronTones, a special group of male singers, entered the stage in Hawaiian attire. Seniors Isaac Katamsh and Bryan Hua serenaded listeners with ukuleles, singing “Mele Kalikimaka” by R. Alex Anderson, while the other members threw floral leis into a sea of outstretched hands. Then, the rest of the BaronTones joined in, with silly choreography, some rear-end shaking and one singer masquerading in a scarlet lobster costume. The audience’s giggles reached the very top of Segerstrom’s arched ceilings.
Not about to be shown up, the specialty girls’ group, Les Petit Neuf (Little Nine) took the stage. Singing a combination of “Winter Wonderland” and “Let it Snow,” aptly titled, “Winter Wonderland of Snow” (arranged by Mark Hayes), the singers were decked out in reindeer horns and festive outfits. Soloist and senior Charlene Vo’s voice soared over the orchestra, while junior Anica Gascon’s solo was delicate but beautiful. The audience exploded with applause when Les Petit Neuf ended the song with a piercingly-high E.
Tison himself had a surprise solo in “That’s Christmas To Me,” a Pentatonix song that also featured several alumni: Tricia Tran (‘18), Noelle Carney (‘11), Dan Querry (‘08) and Alex Pratt (‘11). The talented group performed the mellow song a capella (meaning without any instruments), and created complex rhythms with their voices alone.
Afterwards, the Troubadours took the stage for the first time. The Vocal Music Program’s top choir sang a relatively unknown song: “The Holly and the Ivy” by Stephen Paulus. With their trademark blending of voices from the deepest bass singers to the lyrical sopranos and perfect rhythm, the Troubadours filled the hall with a sense of mystery and magic. A harp strummed alongside the singers, adding a rustic feel to the performance.
The audience, still entranced by “The Holly and the Ivy,” was bewildered when the lights went dark. In the sudden gloom, evil cackling filled the space. “Mr. Grinch,” a scary disembodied voice, began to taunt the Troubadours, calling them “overrated.” Then, as quickly as they had gone, the lights flickered back on. Sickly green permeated the stage… and Tison donned a green wig. Determined to prove the “voice” wrong, the Troubadours launched into their rendition of “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” by Albert Hague and Dr. Seuss. With soaring high notes and a strong bass solo performance by junior Teague Kawai, the Troubadours proved that they were worth their reputation.
The first half of the concert was closed out by a group of young singers: 134 students from the Fulton, Masuda and Talbert Middle Schools!
Tison called them a “small army” as they trooped on stage, and he said, “[It’s] really amazing for me, as a director, to witness the progression of this program.” After all, many current Troubadours had started off as Middle School Singers.
With their angelic, high-pitched voices, the singers trilled “Winter Lullaby” by Pinkzebra. The poignant melody brought much of the audience to tears. The singers’ piping voices—all 134 of them—complimented the deep richness of the orchestra. Their second song, “Somewhere in My Memory” by John Williams included a solo from seventh grader Isaiah Grahn. His sweet voice awakened the holiday spirit in everyone’s hearts.
Around halfway through the song, a whirring noise distracted the audience from the music.
Someone pointed at the ceiling, and soon everyone’s eyes turned skyward. Was it snowing… indoors? As the white blizzard drew closer, the “snow” transformed into tiny bubbles, settling on hair and clothing.
The Middle School Singers, Concert Choir, and the alumni finished the first half of the concert with “O Holy Night” (by John Sullivan Dwight and Adolphe Adam). The song progressed much like “life stages”: the middle schoolers sang at the beginning, Concert Choir sang in the middle, and the alumni joined in at the end. The audience felt immeasurable chills, when, at the end of the song, the giant hall experienced an explosion of sound. With the alumni bathed in blue light, like specters come once again to sing for the Vocal Music Program, it seemed, for all the world, like a triumphant movie ending.
After the 20-minute intermission, the choirs returned for more holiday favorites. Some notable songs included “Grown Up Christmas List” by David Foster and Linda Thompson Jenner, “Ave Maria” by Giuseppe Verdi and “Let There Be Light” by Susan Bentall Boersma, a tribute song for Don Walker, who founded FVHS Vocal Music and passed in June 2022.
The concert also celebrated the Vocal Music Program’s previous directors, who were in attendance that night, as well as Tison himself. The final three songs were all holiday classics: “O Come, All Ye Faithful” (by Adeste Fideles and John Francis Wade), “Silent Night” (by Josef Mohr and Franz Gruber) and the “Hallelujah Chorus” from Messiah (by George Friederic Handel). The audience participated in a merry sing-along and left the concert with hearts filled to the brim with joy.
Leonard Vu, FVHS graduate and music enthusiast, shared his thoughts about the event. It was his first time watching the Segerstrom concert, although he had attended other choral productions in the past.
“I want to go again!” Vu said. “[My favorites were] the Grinch song, O Holy Night…and Mele Kalikimaka, of course. I liked the dance, the choreography, and the orchestra is really good…I really like the score writing for all of the songs. The orchestra is used really well in conjunction with the choir.”
All in all, Sounds of the Season was an outstanding success. Although this was the first post-pandemic Segerstrom concert, all the choirs performed beautifully. The performers brought the audience a healthy dose of holiday cheer and a sense that, at last, things were finally returning to normal.
If you’d like to see more pictures from the concert, they will be released in the Vocal Music Gallery shortly. If you’d prefer to hear them in person, the Vocal Music Program’s next concert will be held in the spring of 2023. We hope to see you there, Barons!
