Last night’s “¡Musica Caliente!” concert was stunning.
Staples High School’s Orphenians, A Cappella Choir, Chorus and Chorale presented more than a dozen songs from places near the equator — Brazil, Bali, India, Puerto Rico, Haiti, East Africa — that were extraordinarily difficult to sing, beautiful in vastly different ways, and inspiringly presented.
It was a superb evening. But the highlight came after choral director Luke Rosenberg spoke movingly of his many seniors — the 1st class he’s seen all the way through Staples, since arriving 4 years ago.
Each senior described where he or she is going to college. Some are studying voice or musical theater; others will become engineers, journalists or psychologists. One hopes to enter the Marines.
Then the seniors announced a gift. They stood on the risers and sang “Dominus Vobiscum” by Sydney Guillaume, the Haitian composer whose “Tap Tap” they had already performed to thunderous applause.
Luke Rosenberg (left) listens to his graduating seniors sing.
The soon-to-be-graduates had chosen the piece, rehearsed it, and nailed it — all on their own.
That’s the greatest gift any educator ever gets.
