Night of Music

By: Courtney Shadrick

The Riverdale High School Band and Choir took to the stage in the Betty Plumb Auditorium Friday, February 17, 2023, for the annual Pops Concert. The RHS Pops Concert is a concert that has been performed for many years. The concert normally takes place in the middle or end of February to symbolize the end of winter. To show their readiness for spring, the performers are asked to wear bright colors.

The Riverdale High School Band performed first this year. The band performed songs that had been added to their repertoire throughout the previous Pep Band season that just ended on February 6th, 2023. Those songs consist of Virtual Insanity, Wipe Out, and Heartbreaker, as well as two groupings of short songs called Cartoon Capers and Stadium Jams. Virtual Insanity was arranged by senior percussionist Payton Gelande. The new piece that was performed was a medley of songs from the movie The Nightmare Before Christmas. In the medley, there was a bass clarinet feature played by freshman Carrie Pridemore, an alto saxophone solo played by freshman Michael Kelley, a trumpet solo played by senior Parker Wendl, a tuba solo played by freshman Micah Reece, and a Xylophone solo played by sophomore Adam Benoit.

Second to perform was the Riverdale High School Choir. They performed songs “Thank You For Being a Friend,” the Golden Girls' Theme song, “I See the Light” from the movie Tangled, “Over the Rainbow” from the Wizard of Oz, “Lovely Day” by Bill Withers, “Easy on Me” by Adele, and “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In” from the musical Hair. Featured singers include junior soprano Shelby Pifkin in “Thank You For Being a Friend,” sophomore bass Ian Smiddy and junior alto Cassidy Kline in “I See The Light,” senior soprano Julia Remour in “Over the Rainbow,” and junior tenor Oliver Bull in “Lovely Day.”

When asked why the Pops Concert is so important, the band and choir director, Matt Reece, answered, “It is a chance for both the Band and Choir to perform different types of music than we normally would.” And when band member senior Rylee Clark, a trumpet, was asked what their favorite part of the Pops Concert is, she said, “I always liked playing together for the Pops Concert because we always sound good working as a collective group.” Then, when junior Oliver Bull, who sings as a part of the Tenor section, was asked the same question, what his favorite part of the Pops Concert is he commented, “I like just performing. It helps the entirety of our rehearsing feel like it paid off.”

You’ll be able to see these two incredibly talented ensembles on April 20th, 2023, at their final local concert at the school before their performances at graduation.