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Frank Ohl fifth-graders sing their final notes
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Zachary Potkanowicz was chosen to add some percussion to the song "Medieval Gloria."
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Choir director Dan Forsberg had the students sing a variation of ""Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah," where the changed around the rhythm and tempo significantly. During a slower part, the choir put their hands against their heads and acted out a swoon.
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Director Dan Forsberg spoke of his students at the concert, equating their teamwork to music: "Something happens when we sing together- we build perfect harmony."
By SARAH FOOR
The Frank Ohl fifth-grade choir has been a busy bunch this spring, performing the national anthem at a Youngstown Phantoms game and at PNC Park in Pittsburgh.
Because they’ve been away so often, the choir’s May 16 spring concert felt a bit like coming home.
Choir director Dan Forsberg started out the concert by having his students sing the song they have perfected all spring, the national anthem, and remembered how it felt to be standing in center field with his students at PNC Park.
“It was really exhilarating for everyone. Standing in a place where a major league baseball team plays, where so many people have stood, and seeing that crowd all around us was amazing. I’m sure it’s something that the kids will never forget,” Forsberg remembered.
Although the anthem was familiar, Forsberg also used the concert as a chance to try out new sounds and challenge the fifth-graders.
“Jubilate Deo” tested the students because it was sung acapella and in a round in three parts, while also completely in Latin.
Forsberg took the familiar song “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah” and promised that it would be performed much differently than the audience had ever heard before. The song was an experiment in theme and variation and the students handled the arrangement’s swift changes in rhythm and tempo with ease.
The show was the fifth-graders’ last school concert before heading off to Austintown Middle School and Forsberg shared that he hoped music would always stay a part of the students’ lives.
“Something happens when we sing together — we build perfect harmony. By being part of this choir, these students brighten people’s lives and bring that harmony to their own. I hope they continue in music,” Forsberg said.