Just as the calendar nears the end of October, Parents Weekend begins, opening Groton’s school gates to welcome family and friends to the circle. The doors of the Campbell Performing Arts Center (CPAC) will also open to host the annual Parents Weekend Concert. In one evening of performances, students from eight different musical and artistic groups will get to showcase their work from the Fall term. This year’s concert will have a diverse array of performances showcasing music, dance, and theatre at Groton.

Chamber Orchestra

Groton’s Chamber Orchestra is composed of the school’s classical instrumental musicians, who work on orchestral music throughout the year. The Orchestra gathers three times a week to rehearse.

“Everyone is very attentive during rehearsals,” said Iris Wu ’22, principal flutist. “It’s very fun to prepare for concerts in such a large ensemble.” 

For their first performance of the year, the Chamber Orchestra will be playing Haydn’s “London Symphony,” Bach’s “Double Violin Concerto in D minor,” and Ippolitov-Ivanov’s “Procession of the Sadar.”

Maqupellas

The Maquepellas is Groton’s student-led, all-gender a capella choir. The singers work together to arrange and perform their own renditions of pop songs without instrumental accompaniments. 

Neha Agarwal ’20, head of Maquepellas, gushed that “the preparation process has been going well! It’s a good group with a lot of fast learners.” 

They will be performing Rihanna’s “Love on the Brain” and “Ocean Eyes” by Bille Eilish, arranged by member Alex Schade ’20. 

Dance Team

At Groton, students can participate in dance during their afternoon activity. Open to all, the dance team enjoys putting together works of interpretive dance with a modern flair. For the upcoming concert, they will perform dances to “Hunger” by Of Monsters and Men and “Over Soon” by Bon Iver. 

Janice Zhai ’21, a member of the dance team, explained the song choices: “They’re different from before- the songs are more upbeat and relaxed than what we’ve done in the past.” Janice hopes that after the concert, “everyone can look forward to some more performances by the team.” 

Jazz Ensemble

Also known as “Soul Sauce,” the Jazz Ensemble at Groton always puts a bright and lively finish to the Parents Weekend Concerts. The Jazz Ensemble allows students who play jazz instruments to explore the genre through practicingand rehearsing. This year, they will be performing two tunes: “Get In Line” by Gordon Goodwin and “Sing! Sing! Sing!” by Benny Goodman. 

Kenji Kikuchi, director of Jazz Ensemble, elaborated upon the composers of these tunes, saying, “Gordon Goodwin is a very famous composer, pianist, and saxophonist in LA, and Benny Goodman performed his tune at Carnegie Hall in 1938 as the first jazz concert at the hall. I hope the audience will enjoy the newest and oldest jazz pieces next to each other.”

Along with these groups, other groups that will be showcased are the Second Form Steel Drums Ensemble, the Essence Step Team, members of the Theatre Program, and a special performance from the Music Prefects.

The Parents Weekend Concert displays the immense artistic talents of Groton students. As Head of the Music Department, Mary-Ann Lanier encourages all visitors on the Circle to watch the concert, saying, “Parents and students are warmly invited to attend!” 

For those who wish to watch the concert, the Parents Weekend Concert will take place on Saturday, October 26 at 7:30 pm in the Campbell Performing Arts Center.