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 2004 playlist

CD Cover

Whole School

We begin our 2004 Choral Celebration CD with the whole school student population singing Can You Hear Those Freedom Bells Ringing? This piece, written by Lena McLin, is an arrangement of a spiritual. Spirituals were songs of freedom, which looked to the day in the future when the slaves would be freed. Despite the terrible degradation of slavery, the spirit of the slaves was so strong that they refused to stop hoping. The intense longing for freedom is expressed in this spiritual as the singers sing of the freedom bells that symbolize going home.

Pearson Singers

The Pearson Singers have completed another busy and successful year. In the fall, they were involved in the World Premiere of a piece entitled Songs at Sunset, written by the Canadian composer, Mark Sirett. In December, they were guests of the London Fanshawe Symphonic Chorus and participated in the annual Christmas Celebration at Centennial Hall. In April, they performed at the Kiwanis Music Festival in London and received a Gold Award. As a result of that performance, they were asked to sing at the Festival of the Stars and were invited to compete at the Provincial levels. Congratulations Pearson Singers, for your efforts throughout the year.

The choir begins by singing two movements from Antonio Vivaldi’s Gloria. Vivaldi was an active string instructor and choir master at a girl’s orphanage in the early 1700s. Many of his vocal works, including this one, were composed for ensembles of young female singers and instrumentalists in residence at that school. These orphan girls were trained solely in music and performed regular orchestral and symphonic concerts open to the public.

The next selection, Give Us Hope, comes from a collection of songs entitled Sounds of a Better World. The inspirational text reminds us that we should never underestimate the power of giving hope to a child. The composer, James Papoulis, writes: Of all the feelings that a young person can have, there is one that makes life seem desolate...empty...and sometimes not even worth living... when it is not there - “Hope”. When children are without hope, they are robbed of one of the most defining parts of their childhood.

Their final selection is a song that was recorded by Enya, for inclusion in the soundtrack for The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. The inspirational text of May It Be reminds us to chase our dreams, for if we believe in ourselves, we will find our way.

Grade 4's

The grade four classes of Mrs. Case and Mr. da Silva will begin their performance this evening with a song entitled Children of the World, written by Earlene Rentz. This selection is an uplifting inspirational song that celebrates the marvels of childhood. The text shares visions from the child’s eye of the wonders of nature that surround them and implores us to find comfort in and appreciate the gifts around us.

Their second song this evening, Baa -Da Black Sheep is a jazzy, rhythmic setting of a familiar melody, originally written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Joan Whittemore’s playful approach to this familiar tune and tale embellishes the melody with some scat-singing. The text is based on the well-known nursery rhyme about wool and taxes, where a man harvests a third of his wool for his master, one third for his wife and another third for himself.

Grade 5's

Ms. Bird’s and Mrs. Bailey’s grade five classes join forces to present their two musical selections. C’est l’au revoir, by Kathryn Day, shares with us a patchwork of colours, and its text speaks to us of the beauty of the changing seasons. After the long winter months, we look with such anticipation to spring and summer and long for the invigorating breath of warm air and for the emergence of new life from the earth.

Hine Ma Tov, by Allan Naplan, is written in the traditional Jewish klezmer style, which incorporates a lively syncopated bounce feeling with transitions between major and minor keys. Though the text is in Hebrew, its meaning is universal, easily translated into any language, culture or religion: “Behold, how good it is for brethren to dwell together in peace”.

Grade 6's

Mrs. Brock’s and Mr. Wasse’s classes perform an inspirational tribute to flight. On December 17,1903, the Wright brothers completed the world’s first successful flight and accomplished what people had only imagined since the beginning of time. The song Way Up There was commissioned by NASA to celebrate the centennial of flight. It was also sung at the memorial service in tribute to the crew of the Columbia.

Their second selection, Laus Deo, is a song of praise set in a spirited rhythmic fashion. The Latin text translates as follows: Praise in the highest, and on earth, peace and goodwill to all men. We praise, we bless, we adore, we glorify. Glory in the highest.

Grade 7's - Grade 8's - Grade 7&8's

At the concert each grade performed a piece separately, then joined together for their final number. First are Mrs. DePace’s and Ms. Ainslie’s grade 7 classes singing The Tiger. Sherri Porterfield set this well-known poem by William Blake to music. In the poem, the Tiger represents energy, strength, cruelty and life.

The grade 8 classes of Mr. Malik and Mr. Cairns follow with an arrangement of the traditional Irish song, The Last Rose of Summer. This piece, which speaks of a single rose left alone after all others have departed at the end of summer, is not only beautifully set by Greg Gilpin, but is a fitting song for the grade 8 class who, shortly after this concert was recorded, attended graduation and moved on to high school.

The combined grade 7 & 8 classes finish with Donna Taylor’s The Love of the Sea. This piece wonderfully depicts the attraction of living by the seaside. To accompany the choir, Mr. Adams was joined by Faye Bontje on violin and Eileen Mitchell on bass.

Twelve

This year, Pearson introduced a new singing ensemble called “Twelve”. The group was formed with the intention of providing a select number of senior students the opportunity to work on vocal repertoire at a very high level of artistry. Twelve students from the grade 7 & 8 vocal classes were chosen to form an SATB (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass) choir. After winning a gold at Kiwanis, they were asked to compete at the provincial level and to sing for this year’s Stars of the Festival concert at Centennial Hall.

Two selections are presented on this year’s CD, the first is a traditional spiritual entitled Deep River, arranged by John Leavitt. The second is a medley from the very popular musical, Les Miserables.

Whole School

We will conclude this evening with a song that speaks of the strength of friendships and bonds that are formed throughout our lifetimes. Please enjoy the whole school’s presentation of Bridge Over Troubled Water.