Small Ensembles Perform Big Songs

by Danny Park, Grade 10

On Friday, December 2nd, the Alix Goolden Performance Hall at the Victoria Conservatory of Music was filled with sonorous sounds from SMUS small ensembles. The types of music played varied from classical music to jazz and swing.

The Concert Singers opened up the concert, followed by the Vocal Jazz Ensemble. The Concert Singers’ beautiful blend and the falsetto soloist set the tone for the rest of the concert. The contrast shown between the two vocal groups was very entertaining to listen to. The Vocal Jazz Ensemble’s rendition of “Somebody to Love” by Queen featured numerous soloists among the group.

Listen to “Somebody to Love”: Somebody To Love

The performances of the vocal ensembles were followed by the two bands, the Jazz Band and the Swing Band. The Jazz Band brought life to the atmosphere of the concert with their rhythmic style of playing. There were incredible solos from various instruments such as saxophones, trumpets, keyboard, and even drums. Their last piece demonstrated their superb technique.

The Swing Band began their set with a selection called “Tequila”, in which they shouted “Tequila” at the end of that piece. In another piece, they got the crowd clapping as they played the refrain. The Swing Band concluded the concert with a flashy piece featuring all the instruments.

Video by SMUS, partial footage courtesy Eric George
The hard work that went into the organization of the concert was evident. Thank you to the directors of the ensembles: Ms. Williams, Mr. Butterfield, Mr. Reid, Mr. Farish and Mr. Flello.

Jazz Night at SMUS

04:42
Students, family and staff enjoy a candle-lit evening of Jazz in the SMUS gym, with talented swing musicians from the Middle and Senior schools. Jazz in the Round is held every year to celebrate the hard work of the jazz, vocal and swing ensembles.

Read about it in the SMUS Review

Cuban Vocal Jazz at SMUS

04:11
Students and faculty are treated to two performances by the premiere Cuban vocal jazz ensemble, Novel Voz. The SMUS vocal jazz group opened for Novel Voz at Hermann’s Jazz Club on Sunday afternoon.

Read about it in the SMUS Review

Jazz Night 07

04:15
All four corners of the SMUS gym are transformed into a stage as the jazz bands of SMUS take over for an evening of music and ice cream. The audience sits around 25 large round tables in the centre of the gym as each band performs on their own stage. The four-stage setup allows for quick change-over and an amazing atmosphere.

Read about it in the SMUS Review

Isaac Hayes meets Chick Corea

03:34
The Senior School Small Ensembles Concert is held in the Alix Goolden Hall at the Victoria Conservatory of Music. It features the Swing Band, Vocal Jazz Ensemble, Chamber Choir and Jazz Band.

Read about it in the SMUS Review

Mosaic Play at Hermann’s

04:07
SMUS’ own Mosaic jazz combo played an opening set at Hermann’s Jazz Club. They are joined by New York trumpet star, Walter White.

Read about it in the SMUS Review