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 2009 playlist

20th Anniversary

In 2009 we celebrated the 20th anniversary of Pearson as an arts school. For our 2009 CD we brought back a piece we performed at the 10th Anniversary, "I Sing the Body Electric" from Fame. This song ends the performance with again the whole school singing!

CD Cover

Pearson Singers

The first selection of the 2009 Choral Celebration evening was from the musical, Oliver, about a young boy who falls in with thieves in 19^th century London. The scene is in the morning, just as the market is opening and venders are coming onto stage. The song is, Who Will Buy. The three vendors you will hear singing solos are Lauren Bowers, Isabelle Nagel, and Emma Torresan.

Pearson Singers second selection was the title song of Simon and Garfunkels’ final album together in 1970. It topped the adult contemporary chart for six weeks and was a five-time Grammy winner. The meaningful lyrics speak to us of the importance of friendships in our lives. Please enjoy Kirby Shaw’s arrangement of, Bridge Over Troubled Water.

Grade 4's

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The grade 4 classes of Mrs. Case and Mr. Da Silva were pleased to be a part of their first Choral Celebration experience. They performed two selections. First, Jeff Mosse’s arrangement of a song that was introduced to children’s audiences by Elmo, a well-known character on Sesame Street. As with all songs on Sesame Street, the lyrics stimulate children’s minds and deliver thoughtful messages, such as the one in this song: “One small voice can teach the world a song”. The Grade 4's performance of One Small Voice features two soloists: Fraser Feeney and Madeleine Bennett.

As I Walked Through London City, arranged by Ken Berg, is a sprightly English folk tune which comes from Essex county just outside London, England. It is a counting game song and, as with many folksongs, it tells a curious story. The main character in the story is attempting to win the heart of a Spanish lady. He offers many incentives, including rings, jewels, house and land. However, his world of treasures are not enough, for all she wants is a handsome man!

Grade 5's

Mrs. Bailey’s and Ms. Bird’s grade 5 classes were next on stage to share their two selections. First was, The Garden Song, arranged by Mac Huff. The original version of this song was begun one day when the composer Dave Mallett was working in the garden on his family's farm in rural Maine. While “pullin’ weeds and pickin’ stones”, he was inspired to run into the house, take a pencil and manuscript paper and write a new song. In the nearly three decades since that time, "The Garden Song" has been covered by more than 150 artists ranging from Pete Seeger and Arlo Guthrie to John Denver and the Muppets.

Sing is a popular song created for Sesame Street. It gained popularity when performed by the Carpenters in the early 1970's. It has become one of the most performed songs on Sesame Street, sung in English, Spanish and even sign language. Eventually Sing went on to become number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. This arrangement, by Steve Zegree, is written with elements of jazz, swing and improvisational scat - singing.

Grade 6's

Next on the program were the grade 6 classes of Mrs. Brock and Mr. Wasse. Their first selection was an inspirational tune, entitled, I Believe, written by Mark Hayes. The timeless text not only affirms the uniqueness and potential of every child, but encourages us to serve the world to the best of our ability and to respect that everyone has value. I Believe features Robin Feeney as the soloist.

The grade 6's second song was written to capture the spirit of celebration and community in Africa. Live the Drum, reflects the sense of strength, solidarity and spiritual harmony that the composer, Juliet Hess, experienced while living in Ghana. This song features John Fellner, Ben Cottrill, Willem Cowan and Keegan Marshall on the percussion parts, which represent the heartbeat of the African people.

Grade 7's

Ms. Ainslie’s and Mrs. Depace’s classes then assembled on stage. Their first piece was based on the early 19^th century writer, Perry Shelly’s poem “Dreams of Thee”. It is a lyric, romantic tale of a lover who wakes and walks out into a beautiful night in search of his beloved. When he finally finds her he is overcome with emotion. Eric Barnum creates stirring music which conveys the different emotions the lover goes through. For this performance Alexia Hlynialuk was featured on the violin. This is , Dreams of Thee by Eric William Barnum.

The second grade 7 piece was an energetic song, written in gospel style. The words speak of following your dreams even when the task seems too difficult. No ocean is too wide, no mountain is too high because deep within yourself you can find the strength to succeed. The piece is an original composition by Mark Patterson entitled, That High Mountain.

Grade 8's

The grade 8 classes of Mr. Malik and Mr. Cairns moved to the stage to perform. Their first selection was a monumental piece entitled, Hymn to the New Age by Lee Hoiby. The words speak of a people who have come through a long and difficult war. The fighting has stopped and now it is time to begin anew. From the ashes of a broken society, and with God’s help, a new age will begin. The grade 8's first performed this piece on Remembrance Day to honour our veterans. It was again presented at Choral Celebration as our grade 8's prepared for a new journey after graduating from Pearson.

The grade 8's second selection was one that was familiar to most people in the audience. Although it was written in the early 1900's, it was made popular by the singer, Josh Groban. As well, this piece was used in the commemoration service for the victims the September 11^th attack in New York. In this arrangement by Teena Chin Anna Osterberg is on piano and there are two soloists, Hannah Mallet and Simon Moore. This is, You Raise Me Up.

Twelve

The first of Twelve’s pieces is an extremely complex composition in which almost everyone in the group has the opportunity to sing individually on their part. It is not until half way through that you hear the full group perform. The piece is, Butterfly, by the Finish group, Rajaton.

The second selection that Twelve presents is a medley of songs from the musical, Grease. It starts out with the title track from the musical, Grease. Soloist for this piece are Maddy Lawrence and Brennyn Watterton. The next piece in the medley is Greased Lightning. In this piece Jake Schindler is featured. The third song in the medley is Summer Nights. In this song there are a number of soloists: K.T. Irwin, Kaitlyn McLagan, Anna Osterberg, Jake Schindler and Simon Moore. Next is Born to Hand Jive. In this selection you hear Simon Moore and Eric Chen. The final piece in the medley is You’re the One that I Want. Soloists for this are Saran McLagan and Emily Nunez. We hope that you sit back and get ready to rock as you listen to Twelve perform selections from Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey’s 1972 musical, Grease.

Whole School

2009 was the twentieth anniversary of Pearson! Two weeks prior to the Choral Celebration concert we celebrated with a weekend of activities beginning with the release of 280 balloons by our current students and finishing with a gala concert involving current students and graduates of Pearson. Ten years before we celebrated the 10^th anniversary, and to close that concert we performed a piece from the musical Fame. For our 20^th we brought back that song to close the gala concert. The entire school assembled to perform this piece, with soloists Kaitlyn McLagan, Josh Van Belois, and Brennyn Watterton, accompanied by Anna Osterberg on piano, and featuring our very own grade 6 band, “U Turn”. The piece we performed was, I Sing the Body Electric.