The Spring Concert featured performances by the Jazz Band, Concert Band, Select Choir and Chorus. A special segment featured students performing original composed works. Rose Richard acknowledged the hard work, talent and enthusiasm of the twenty-eight graduating seniors.
The following article by David Brooke appeared in the May 16, 2007 edition of the Harwich Oracle.
In some ways, 18-year-old Allison Brookhart is a typical Harwich High School senior. She likes rock music, has a summer job lined up and is headed to college in the fall. But the quality of her singing voice isn’t typical at all.
A member of the Harwich High School chorus, Brookhart was recently accepted as a member of the 200-voice National Multicultural Honor Choir, sponsored by the American Choral Directors Association. She performed at the association’s 2007 National Convention in Miami earlier this year.
“My friends at school call me the little girl with the big voice,” Brookhart said. “The biggest moment of my life was when I got the letter saying ‘congratulations, you’ve been accepted.’ It was the biggest choral thing I’ve ever been in. I was extremely proud of myself for accomplishing something big like that.
Brookhart has been singing since she joined chorus at Harwich Middle School in seventh grade. She also performs three times a year at the Cape Cod Bible Alliance. “I didn’t [used to] like to sing in public and I was very self conscience,” Brookhart said, adding, “now I love it.” Her voice has been heard all across the Cape. She attended the All Cape and Island Music Festival three times, the Southeastern District Music Festival twice, and was one of six students who sang the “Star Spangled Banner” at Gov. Deval Patrick’s inaugural celebration at the Four Points in Hyannis last January. That’s not counting her performance as leading lady Marty in “Grease,” which was performed last March at Harwich High School. “She’s at the top of her game right now in the gang that I have, she truly gets it,” said Rose Richard, Harwich High School’s musical director. “Her enthusiasm stood out and then she ate up everything I could possible give her. Her musicianship, skill and talent started evolving each year.”
Only 300 students were accepted in the Multicultural Choir, out of 1,400 students who auditioned. Getting in was one thing, but Brookhart had only two months to rehearse for the March 7 event and had to memorize nine foreign language songs. “The Miami event was conducted by two of the most heavy hitters in the choral music world. They were absolutely amazing, gigantic people in the field,” Richard said. Richard said Brookhart was so prepared for rehearsals in Miami she didn’t even need to look at her music. “People around her had their heads planted in their music for the first two days of their rehearsals.”
After the Harwich High School Spring Concert on Thursday, May 17, Brookhart will wrap up her high school singing career, but aims to further improve her musicality studying at Eastern Nazarene College in Quincy, where she will double major in elementary education and music theater. Once there, Brookhart said she wants to start an all woman’s choir, and from there can’t wait to see where her music takes her. “I know I’m going to end up coming back to the Cape because I love this place so much, I can’t wait to see what else is in store for me,” Brookhart said.
Harwich High School Hosts All-Cape Jazz Festival on April 12th, 2007
The All-Cape Jazz Festival was held Thursday evening, April 12th in the Harwich High School Auditorium. The program featured the Harwich High School Jazz Band, the Cape Cod Jazz Society Youth Combo, the Nauset Jazz Band and the Festival Band composed of twenty Cape students selected by audition. The Festival Band was conducted by well known and respected musician, Bruce Abbott.
Rose Richard conducts the Harwich High School Jazz Band that began the Festival program.
The 80's Returned to Harwich High School On Tuesday, March 6, 2007
The unlikely combination of music by Prince and Andrew Lloyd Webber (Cats and Phantom of the Opera) was heard in the Harwich High School auditorium in Return To The 80's- a musical program that featured band, chorus and small ensembles. Musical selections by Lionel Richie, Carly Simon, Bobby McFerrin, Michael Jackson and Billy Joel were also featured. The dynamic student rock band, Dark Skys, warmed up the audience and performed "99 Red Balloons" later in the program.
During the performance, Ms. Richard thanked Friends of the Arts for providing much needed funding to replace the heads of the drums in the band.
Memories of the eighties were enhanced by leg warmers, finger-less gloves, sculptured hair dos and a dancing Rubik's Cube.
Harwich High School Alto Performs with National Multicultural Honor Choir
Allison Brookhart with Rollo Dilworth, Conductor of the ACDA Multicultural Honors Choir, outside the Jackie Gleason Theater and Arts Center in Miami
Harwich High School senior, Allison Brookhart has returned from Miami where she was a member of the National Multicultural Choir, one of three national choirs selected by audition to perform at the 2007 National Convention of the American Choral Directors Association March 7-10, 2007. The association is composed of approximately 18,000 choral teachers (in public and private schools from kindergarten through the university level) representing more than one million singers across the United States.
Allison's parents, Ellen and Larry Brookhart and Ms. Rose Richard (Harwich High School's Music/Band teacher) accompanied her. Larry was kind enough to send us this synopsis of their "whirlwind trip to Miami".
"Allison was thrilled to meet and work with famed choral directors and composers. She diligently sought out each tutor and got them to autograph the sheet music. David Fanshawe's composition was the concluding piece of the entire concert. He talked with us at the restaurant and encouraged Allison to pursue her choral studies.
The sessions leading up to the performance were intense. Students worked on the arrangements, practiced choreography, and soaked up advice from famed choral directors and the two conductors (one from Chicago, the other from New York City). This was a master class/workshop on choral presentation, arrangements, audience engagement, harmonic passages, and voice exercises. Rose Richard was in her glory!
The concert was flawless and stunning both visually and musically. Each girl wore a different colored pastel shirt which provided a strong contrast to the boys wearing black jackets. In the center of the stage were musicians playing ethnic percussion instruments plus a violin, flute, etc. The entire performance left the audience amazed! Needless to say-- Rose was in her glory! It was a pleasure to see and meet these fine musicians, their teachers, and the instructors of this program. We were also treated to concert performances by college and middle school students.
The Jackie Gleason Theater is a beautiful facility for the concerts and also provided interesting photos from the Jackie Gleason Show.
This was a weekend and experience we will never forget and will cherish for a very long time."
At their March 13th meeting, the Harwich High School Friends of the Arts presented Ellen Brookhart with a check for $608 to help defray the costs of their once in a lifetime trip as parents.
All Cape Music Festival February 1-3, 2007
Nineteen Harwich High School students successfully auditioned on November 15, 2006 to join with three hundred student musicians from sixteen schools for the All-Cape Cod and Islands Music Festival 2007. The event, in its 47th year, is sponsored by the Cape Cod and Islands Music Educators' Association and was held at the Barnstable High School Performing Arts Center. Rehearsals took place on Thursday, February 1 and Friday, February 2 and concluded with a concert on Saturday, February 3 before a record breaking audience of nearly one thousand people.
Violinists Jeffrey Strome, Ellen Birmingham and Sarah Ray were selected for the All-Cape Symphony Orchestra that was composed of seventy three musicians and conducted by Ira M. Schaefer. They performed five selections including works by Tchaikovsky, Schubert and Debussy.
Listen to the All-Cape & Islands Symphony Orchestra
Thirteen choir members sang five selections with the one hundred and fifty member All-Cape Chorus with Kevin Fenton, Conductor.
Listen to the All-Cape & Islands Chorus
The students were:
Sopranos-Kathleen Arregoces, Courtney Ellis, Casey Keyes, and Emily Reed
Altos:Kelly Amber, Allison Brookhart, Michelle Hemeon, and Madison Hogan
Tenors: Thomas Segal and Chad Wimberly
Basses: Patrick Blute, Joseph Malone and Anthony Spaulding
Three students were selected for the seventy two member All-Cape Concert Band conducted by Laura Rexroth. They were Gregory Minckler-oboe, Christopher Liberty- alto saxophone and Natalie Pons-baritone horn.
Harwich High School Friends of the Arts supported this event by funding transportation.
Choir Members Make an Impression at Inaugural Celebration
We have received photos of Allison Brookhart, (Harwich High School senior and Select Choir member) posing with Governor Deval Patrick and First Lady, Diane Patrick. The occasion was one of five state wide inaugural celebrations for the Governor and Lt. Governor held Sunday, January 7, 2007 at the Four Points by Sheraton Hyannis Resort.
Music teacher, Rose Richard, accompanied selected members of the Harwich High School Chorus to the event where they performed opening songs to a much appreciative audience.
The 3rd Annual Harwich High School Alumni Show/Concert was held on Friday evening, January 12, 2007 at Harwich High School.
Twenty alumni performed in various ensembles and with the High School Select Chorus, Chorus, Jazz Band and Concert Band. The audience was treated to dance and music ranging from flute to jazz.
It was a unique opportunity for alumni to connect with old friends and for several sets of siblings to perform for the first time with one another on stage. Several freshmen were afforded the opportunity to play key roles.
