Music without borders

By Kelly Yang ‘23

During the quarantine time, even technological barriers and time zone differences did not stop St.Markers from getting together virtually and enjoying music. This window, St.Mark’s musicians had made great progress through virtual meetings and YouTube platforms. 

Mr.Wallace, the choir director, is currently working on several pieces with the choir. These repertoires came from different countries, cultures, and backgrounds, and are composed using different languages. Stanford's "Beati Quorum” is a serene piece, and one of the three Latin Motets. As a member of the choir, I love the polyphonic texture and the soprano line of this piece- they are the most soothing euphony during the quarantine. Besides this piece, the choir also touches on other pieces including Darke's "Let all mortal flesh," Tin's "Baba Yetu," and the Zulu folk song "Jabula Jesu." This year, eventhough the choir members can not get together and perform in the echoing hall, Mr. Wallace found an alternative way to gather us together as a choir. He introduced us to an online recording studio that can edit all our voices together. 

Not only choir members are trying their best and make music together.Waverly Shi 21’,  a V Form violinist, is currently working on a Youtube Channel she created entitled "Journey Through Music". “The youth orchestra I am in called BYSO recently made a video of its members playing ‘Ode to Joy’. This was a wonderful way to make music together. From the video, as Beethoven said, ‘I wish you music to help with the burdens of life, and to help you release your happiness to others,’” says Waverly, “Through this playlist, I hope that more people can appreciate music in all different forms and genres and understand its many benefits”. Waverly Shi is also looking for other musicians at St.Mark’s to join. 

Mr. Wallace also expressed his personal feeling during this pandemic, "the joy of making music in ensembles is about 50 percent music-making and 50 percent camaraderie and creative collaboration. After all, the chorus literally means 'together'. 'Symphony' means harmony or concord—sounds blending together. Removing the 'togetherness' may seem at first to be not very satisfying, but individual preparation will put us in good stead for the future."

The school year is heading to the end. Let’s look forward to another fruitful academic year and reunion on campus! 

The 2020 Opera Trip- La Traviata

-Grace Lee’23, Ivy Li ‘23

Of all the events that take place at St. Mark’s, there is one that exceeds all the others. A trip to the Metropolitan Opera is a lifetime chance for many, and many of our St. Markers were able to attend this year. The show was La Traviata, but that only proved to be one piece of the whole experience. Those who went on the trip with an open mind came out finding a new part of themselves.

A four hour bus trip sounded unbearable because of the length, but turned out to be quite relaxing and refreshing for many. Everybody watched the scenery outside the window change from the rural forests of Massachusetts to the bustling city of New York. People began to recognize familiar restaurants and houses as the bus drove past the rambunctious city. Everybody gathered around the fountain for a huge group photo, and once that was finished, everybody had an hour to themselves to explore New York City. Most people changed into fancy dresses and suits while others began taking photos near the fountain. Some used the time to their advantage to go shopping and bubble-tea drinking. Afterwards, everybody lined up for dinner and found a seat next to their friends. In an orderly fashion, each table was called to grab a buffet dinner. The dinner was pasta, chicken, roasted vegetables, and with a finishing touch of chocolate lava cake. 

Then, it was showtime.

People were filing into the auditorium from all four corners. The magnificent Metropolitan Opera house towered over the audience, and a grandiose rose was projected onto the stage. The St. Mark’s students were offered the closest seats to the stage. St. Mark’s students did not have to worry about not being able to understand italian because there were translation screens in front of every seat. Before the students could finish taking in the magnificent sight, the curtains lifted up to reveal a beautifully decorated stage, with the performers sedentary on the bed and furniture.

The tragic love story went like this: Violetta Valery, who has a terminal illness, falls in love with Alfredo Germont in her final days. However, their relationship is challenged by Alfredo’s father. This tragedy was portrayed through song-only, and there brief scenes of dances. The whole performance was three hours long, but felt shorter because of how enthralling it was. Everybody left wanting to see more, and it was a great show that everybody was going to remember afterwards.

The time was around 11 o’clock when everybody filed onto the buses. We were given turkey sandwiches and chips, which was enough to fill us up for the long trip back. After the long opera, everyone seems lethargic, and most fell asleep right away. We arrived back in Southborough quickly, and everybody fell asleep in their dorms almost right away. 

The opera trip was a memorable experience for the people who went, everybody came out of the opera feeling enthralled by the whole experience. There was a whole team of faculties and students who were able to make this trip possible, so as part of St. Mark’s, we want to acknowledge their hard work. If you haven’t yet been to the opera, it is an experience that you shouldn’t miss out on in the following years.