About
Creating Love Conquers All, The Gift
The Gift
SMITHFIELD CHORUS
THE SMITHFIELD MIDDLE SCHOOL CHORUS IS OPEN TO ALL STUDENTS IN GRADES 7 & 8 AS A YEAR-LONG ELECTIVE. THE SMITHFIELD HIGH SCHOOL CHORUS IS COMPRISED OF STUDENTS IN GRADES 9 - 12 ENROLLED IN CLASS EACH SEMESTER. CHORUS STUDENTS PERFORM A VARIETY OF PROGRAMS AND CONCERTS EACH YEAR FOR THE LOCAL SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY. Smithfield High School Chorus, Kathryn West, Music Educator Catherine Day (Soloist) Chloe Elmore Abigail Gebreyesus Haylie Heid Leah Koeppen Kayla McMillian Adrianna Melvin Peyton Rayner Rylee Sequoyah Tyler Rose Thomas Summer Quimby Gianna Garrett Smithfield Middle School Chorus, Paul Putnam, Music Educator Kiley Cecil Myra-Ki Smallwood (sp??) Hanna Williams Shiloh Wilcher Reagan Bresnahan Phetchinda Mady Braylee Witt |
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THE BACKSTORY OF RECORDING LOVE CONQUERS ALL, THE GIFT
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8 JUN 2022 Cindy Paulos asked me to arrange one piece for her on a Christmas Album she was writing. The arrangement turned into a composition, and the one piece became an 11-movement, 53-minute theatrical story about the Birth of Jesus… When Heaven Merges With Earth. One of the songs, movement 9, is called “Love Conquers All, the Gift.” Writing with kids in mind, we eventually invited vocal students from the Smithfield HS and MS Choruses to take part. Roland Stuppin, the ‘James Dean’ of Recording, who recorded STORMWORKS Chapter 55: Way of the Wanderer with Das Musikkorps Der Bundeswehr, and then came to Buffalo, NY to record the Clarence HS kids for the piece, ARK of the COVENANT, was the ONLY guy to do this recording! So we flew him in from Germany. (Of course, we suffered greatly having German and Italian food all week.) Roland had a carry-on piece of luggage with $50,000 of mics and equipment in it! HA! Despite his genius and great recording tools, we STILL had to work around school bells, changing classes, morning announcements, the air conditioner, and all within a 2-hour window. But the result is a Beautiful song that really only KIDS could share with us. It’s the simple Idea that LOVE Conquers All. The Single, “Love Conquers All, the Gift,” is coming soon! Then soon after that, the Full Album will be released, “Love Conquers All, When Heaven Merges With Earth.” Many thanks to the kids and their Teachers, Mrs. Kathryn West, Mr. Paul Putnam, and to Ms. Buggs, the principal of Smithfield Middle School. Man, with principals like her, I would have stayed in Teaching. Watch the Skies! Be on the lookout! GODSPEED! 9 JUN 2022 One of the cool stories from our recent recording of the Smithfield HS and MS choirs was the stepping up of a volunteer. Because the intended soloist was a no-show, I asked, “Who wants to sing the solo?” All of the kids pointed to the bashful, Catherine Day. The bell rang. The kids left. Some close friends stayed to support Catherine. Catherine bravely stood in front of Roland’s mics. Roland, who defines gentleness, himself with 3 daughters, explained to Catherine what we needed to do. As a result, Catherine was perfect for the solo. She sounded exactly as the Composer intended, like an innocent child, sharing an important Message with the world. “Love Conquers All.” Enjoy & Godspeed! S Love Conquers All, the Gift, a Trailer for the Single, comes from the Soon to be released Album, “Love Conquers All, When Heaven Merges With Earth”. https://youtu.be/4sgL1upYVzA TEASER for ALBUM on YouTube: https://youtu.be/XRkwb40De70 These 10-minutes of excerpts come from the 53-minute, Soon to be released Album, “Love Conquers All, When Heaven Merges With Earth”. |
