Choir celebrates new beginnings and ends
Filling the stage with a mix of theatrical numbers from “The Greatest Showman,” “Moana,” “Grease” and others, the Diamond Bar High School choir department owned the stage in their fall concert, “Turning Points: Endings, Beginnings, and Epiphanies.”
Starting off the show in a lively manner, Marquis sang an Elton John song “I’m Still Standing.”
The mood then shifted with soloist senior Taylor Moore singing “Beautiful,” by Christina Aguilerra. This pattern of switching from upbeat group numbers to softer solos or chamber numbers continued throughout the show.
Shaking things up, the Diamond Tones and sophomore soloist Leo Liu performed “Al shlosha D’Varim,” a traditional Hebrew song arranged by Alan E. Naplan. The song’s text, as explained by Liu before they sang, offers the message that the world is sustained by truth, justice and peace.
Sophomore Sydney Tagaro also performed a solo within the first act, singing “How Far I’ll Go” from the Disney movie “Moana.”
Another shining performance that took place before intermission was senior Sarah Siddiquie and junior Alyssa Guerra’s duet “All I Ask” by Adele.
Starting with solo parts in the first two verses of the song, the girls created an amazing harmony throughout the chorus.
Junior Jordan Jacoby’s solo was the standout performance of the concerts first act. Walking on stage with guitar in hand, Jacoby sang “Let Her Go” by Passenger.
Solitaire brightened up the stage by opening up the second act with “Everybody Rejoice” by Luther Vandross, with multiple solo parts sung by senior Britany Trinidad and juniors Suhanee Malhotra, Kasee Verma and Janie Baek.
Adding comedic elements into the mix, sophomore soloist Christian Bongcaras strutted out onto the stage in a hot pink wig and red high heels to sing the opening of “Beauty School Dropout” from the 1978 teen romance film, “Grease.”
Contributing to the energy of the show, Solitaire performed “This is Me” from “The Greatest Showman,” with small solo parts sung by seniors Kelly Anderson and Taylor Moore.
One of the most entertaining pieces of the night was Marquis’ interpretation of “You’ll Be Back” from “Hamilton.” With senior Ryan Handoyo walking down stage clad in a gold crown and red cape, the soloist showed no timidness in his portrayal of the King George III from the beloved play.
To end the show on a high note, all of the four choirs came back on stage singing “No Time,” arranged by Susan Brumfield.
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