In the first week of June each year all of the students of Lester B Pearson School for the Arts gather to present what we call, "Choral Celebration". These concert have been going on for as long as Pearson has been an arts school. They are a highlight of the school year, and truly show the musical progression of the students as they move from grade 4 to grade 8. We hope that you enjoy the music that we have prepared for you!

You can go to the playlist or choose individual songs below.

• Choral Celebration 2003 playlist

CD Cover

Whole School

We opened our 2003 Choral Celebration with I am but a Small Voice. This piece was originally performed by the Grade 6's, but the belief expressed in the song “Come young citizens of the world, we are one”, was the ideal sentiment for the whole school to open our concert. Although the Grade 6's did not get to perform this as one of their individual pieces, they are the featured choir singing the opening verse.

Pearson Singers

The Pearson Singers had another very successful year. From their first tentative steps through the music office door for their audition in September to singing at Canterbury Cathedral for the Canterbury International Choral Festival in England during July of 2003, they worked continuously to sing to the best of their ability. Two pieces from this tour were sung for this recording. The first is the final song from a set of pieces written by Morton Lauridsen entitled Les Chansons des Roses, Dirait-on. The translation is:

Abandon surrounding, abandon,

tenderness touching tenderness . . .

Your oneness endlessly caressing itself,

so they say.

As Canterbury Cathedral is the head of the Anglican Church, a program of sacred music was part of the requirements for the tour. The Pearson Singers included the gospel piece Praise His Holy Name as part of their sacred program.

Grade 4's

The Grade 4 classes of Mrs. Case and Mr. Da Silva present two selections. Their first song, Skylark and Nightingale, artfully depicts the presence of beauty in every living thing. The text of this song was written by the well-known poet Christina Rossetti, and Audrey Snyder has beautifully arranged this lullaby-like selection. Their second selection is a rocking, bluesy shuffle written by the Canadian composer Stephen Hatfield.

Foggy Birthday Shuffle incorporates the use of scat syllables meant to imitate the way people sing to themselves. Mr. Hatfield was inspired to write this song while celebrating his birthday, alone, far from home. As he was walking through the sea mist feeling sorry for himself, he started singing and improvising the melody of this song. He came to the realization that your own company mixed with a little bit of imagination could brighten even a foggy day!

Grade 5's

The song, My Little One was written by the composer Valerie Cresencz after watching a program about the plight of children in Romania. The news media reported on the many children living in over-crowded orphanages with little food and hardly enough to wear. As well, the program showed many children who had chosen to take their chances living on the streets instead. In response to this heart-breaking narrative, Ms. Crescenz wrote and dedicated this song to the lost children of Romania.

Little by Little is the name of the second selection that the Grade 5 classes of Ms. Bird and Mrs. Bailey share. Written by Natalie Sleeth, the text of this song inspires us to reach for our dreams and offers encouragement along the way. No matter how big the obstacles of life may appear, if we approach them “step by step, and bit by bit”, then “little by little” we’ll surpass our goals.

Grade 6's

The Grade 6 classes of Miss Fry and Mr.Wasse begin with a selection from one of Walt Disney’s most cherished films, The Little Mermaid. In this story, Ariel, the fun-loving and somewhat mischievous mermaid is enchanted with all things human. She desperately longs to visit the world above the sea, and, in the end, trades her fins and beautiful voice for legs so that she can be Part of Our World.

Their second selection is a Linda Spevacek arrangement of an Irish tune entitled Hi Ho, The Rattlin’ Bog. The music tells the narrator’s cumulative story of several discoveries while on a nature walk one fine morning. Listen carefully to hear the rapid tale of “the bird in the egg, the egg in the nest, the nest on the branch, the branch on the limb, the limb on the tree, the tree in the bog, and the bog down in the valley o!”

Grade 7's

Mrs. Depace and Ms. Ainslie’s Grade 7 classes perform two songs from the pieces they worked on throughout the year. The first is And So It Goes. This Billy Joel tune speaks of the pain and excitement experienced when people are involved in a relationship. In some cases these relationships work out, and in others they don’t. We experience both the good and the bad. That is love, And So It Goes.

The Grade 7's second piece is an east coast lullaby. If you can imagine the setting: an evening fire is quietly burning outside as dusk turns to night. A mother holds her children as the light from the flames dance across their faces. She sings them to sleep with a prayer that their father, who is a fisherman out on the Atlantic Ocean, will safely return to their home near the Mira River. This lullaby, arranged by Stuart Calvert, is Kenneth Leslie’s Cape Breton Lullaby.

Grade 8's

The first piece performed by Mr. Cairns’ and Mr. Malik’s Grade 8 classes is from the immensely popular show, Riverdance. “Sing out your songs and ring out your stories and rhymes.” This phrase from the chorus of the song is the perfect sentiment for this recording. This piece is Bill Wheland’s Home and the Heartland.

The second Grade 8 piece is from the Grade 8's original musical production, “Dead End”. For those of you who attended this show, you will know that the students decided to explore the issue of homelessness. The story centered around a bother and a sister, Adam and Alicia, who have recently come to live on the street. Winter is coming and they are not prepared for the life they are now forced to live. They meet a girl named Dee, who tries to help them. She tries to keep Adam’s and Alicia’s lives from moving into the dead end cycle that many of the homeless experience. The second piece performed here became the theme song for that production. Performed by the composer, Lauren Vandervoort, singing words written by Errin Pfeiffer, this original composition is entitled Sleep Forever.

Grade 7&8 Strings

The Grade 7 and 8 string classes under the direction of Mrs. Case again joined forces this year to compete in the Kiwanis Festival. They received a gold for their performance and were asked for the second year in a row to compete at the provincial level competition. This is For the Star of County Down with soloist Oliver Kraeker.

Grade 7&8 Vocal & Orchestra

Pearson has again experienced a very successful year with our participation in the Kiwanis Festival. Mr. Wood was kept quite busy with a constant stream of announcements of awards throughout April. This piece was Pearson’s entry in the Grade 8 and Under SATB category. It was not until after we had begun preparing it in the fall that we also found out that our selection happened to be this year’s high school choir test piece as well. Accompanied by our own Pearson orchestra, we present the Lacrymosa from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Requiem Mass.

Whole School

The whole school gathered again at the end of the evening to perform Le Temps de Vivre, the translation of which sums up the atmosphere at Pearson.

We will take time to live, to be free, my love, without being tied down to daily routine.

We will be able to dream up our life. Come I am here; I am waiting for you.

Everything is possible, everything is allowed to come.

Listen to the words that shimmer on the walls of the month of May.

They tell us that everything can change at some time.

Everything is possible, everything can change one day.