Singing last goodbye to choir director
October 12, 2017
During their annual fall concert on, Oct. 5, the Diamond Bar High School choir department said goodbye to its long-time director, Patty Breitag.
This year’s concert differed slightly as it took place in the outdoor amphitheater instead of the usual theater setting, however the stage was well-lit, giving the audience a good view of the singers onstage.
The show opened with Simon and Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” sung by the combined choirs, followed by a brief introduction of the choir department council. The choir department council then introduced Larry Chen and Jacob Loor, who sang One Direction’s “Night Changes,” with Chen’s soft tones overlapping Loor’s higher vocal.
The stage was then cleared, except for Solitaire as they sang “Fair Phyllis,” a more cheerful number compared to the opening pieces. A notable duet was “Beautiful Things,” sung by Josh Lingao and Sophia O’Barr, with Lingao’s raspy voice complimenting O’Barr’s clear tone.
Concert Choir then sang “Homeward Bound.” Following this performance, one ear-catching duet was Sarah Oritz and Justin Yoo, who sang Sam Smith’s new song, “Good at Goodbyes,” which perfectly highlighted the underlying somberness of the concert.
After several pieces in different Latin and French, Chamber sang “Ascribe to the Lord,” a more energetic piece compared to the previous songs. Then, siblings Kaitlyn and Hannah Lee sang a duet of Tori Kelly’s “Hollow,” showcasing Kaitlyn’s vocal range.
To close the concert, Marquis sang Rollo Dilworth’s “Take Me to the Water,” with the audience clapping along.
At the end, English and Arts Dean Julie Galindo introduced Principal Reuben Jones, who recognized music directors Steve Acciani and Marie Sato for coming up with the idea to hold the show in the amphitheater and setting the stage up to make it happen.
Breitag was then called up to speak, and she described her time at DBHS, thanking her students for never letting her down and the audience for being present at the concert. The students in turn thanked Breitag for being their instructor and described all the things that they would miss about her when she was gone.
To finish off the night, the entire choir department came together to sing “Bridge Over Troubled Water” once more.
