Young Naperville Singers presented “Starlight and Wonder”

On that cold and snowy Sunday in the middle of December I entered a beautiful world of music, happiness and childhood. This celebration of young talents and high level choral music was presented by the Young Naperville Singers. Two concerts called Starlight and Wonder took place in a beautiful auditorium at Neuqua Valley High School which was packed during both performances.

It was my first time hearing the Young Naperville Singers perform, and now I am in love with these amazing young vocalists and their talented teachers. A great repertoire made these two concerts unforgettable. Both performances were opened by the Chamber Singers presenting Sussex Carol. This traditional English carol created special mood and frame of mind that lasted until the end of both concerts.

Each song presented by the Young Naperville Singers was beautifully directed, arranged and performed. And each song added its little pearl into the sparkling chain of carefully chosen music. Although I attended both concerts, I wasn’t tired and didn’t want either one of them to end. The mystery of highly performed musical art made my heart feel young and happy, and I am even thinking about joining a new choir called Young in Heart that soon will become part of the Young Naperville Singers.

The first concert was featuring the younger choirs and the advanced choir as well. Tremble singers were singing in a touching manner that inherent only to really young singers of ages 6 and 7. Chamber Ensemble under the direction of Angie Johnson pleased the audience with really deep and sensitive performance of the traditional Austrian carol “Still, Still, Still”. The choir called Lyric Singers inspired the listeners with beautiful pieces such as “Peace Round”, French Christmas Carol “He is Born”, traditional Hanukkah song “Hanerot Halalu” (“Light the Candles”) and the amazing “Winter Fantasy” which was combined with “Jingle Bells”.

I would also like to underline the performance of Ensemble Singers, and especially I liked how they presented French folk song called “Arlequin dans sa boutique”. The red berets that the singers were wearing during this song made this good sounding choir also a very bright looking choir!

Young Men’s Chorus amazed the audience with a very diverse collection of songs starting with “Brother’s Sing On!” written by Edvard Grieg and ending their performance with Feliz Navidad where the young men and their director Michael Ferguson presented not only a beautiful singing, but a very energetic and talented dancing as well.

The second concert presented Dolce Singers that pleased the audience with a few creatively performed songs. My favorite ones were “The Little Sandman” by Johannes Brahms and “My Favorite Things” by Rodgers and Hammerstein. The Concert Singers demonstrated their excellence by presenting several nice pieces, but the most memorable for me were “Rad Halaila” arranged by Lee R. Kesselman with a very interesting choreography prepared by Emily Pavuk, and “Jolly Old Saint Nicholas” song that was also beautifully staged.

Boys Choir prepared a few nice songs presented in a very professional manner, but my favorite Santa Lucia performed by these talented boys is still in my mind. When Young Men’s Chorus joined Boys Choir, they surprised everyone with a song called “ABC” where besides the other instruments the musicians also used drums. Both concerts were concluded with the amazing Chambers Singers and at the very end with all the choirs combined together. The lights were off and the Combined Choirs presented “Light One Candle” by Peter Yarrow and the optimistic piece “All is Well” by Michael W. Smith and Wayne Kirkpatrick.

For most of that mid-December Sunday I spent with the Young Naperville Singers. I enjoyed every moment of their two performances. I looked at them and thought: how good it is that these talented and highly professional teachers love their job, and that they chose to devote their lives to these amazing children. Being part of the Young Naperville Singers allows these young vocalists not only sing, but it also helps them develop spiritually and value the beauty of musical art.  

Natalia Dagenhart