*
[applause]
- Funding for the 2018 WSMA High School State Honors Concerts
is provided, in part, by
A. Paul Jones Charitable Trust,
and Friends of Wisconsin Public Television.
- This year is the 50th anniversary
of the High School State Honors Music Project.
The first performance was in 1968,
and the program is still the same.
The audition process is the same.
The selection process is the same.
They still go to a four-day camp
and they still come back and do a final concert
a few months later.
It's a chance for
some of our best musicians from the state
to come together with other students that are at their same level
and rehearse music that is more advanced
than maybe that they would do in their own school.
- To be able to take the best people
from all programs around the state
and put them together in a collaborative effort,
it's really just inspiring and awe-inspiring.
- Rick Bjella: The students that come here
are fully-invested
in the idea of the miracle that can unfold in just a few days
by everybody's spirit, energy, life,
and desire to create something unique
that they can't do by themselves.
["Let My Love Be Heard"]
[slow, powerful a cappella] * Ooo
* Angels, where you soar
* Up to God's own light
* Take my own lost bird
* On your hearts tonight
* And as grief once more
* Mounts to heaven and sings
* Let my love be heard
*
* Angels, where you soar
* Up to God's own light
* Take my own lost bird
* On your hearts tonight
* And as grief once more
* Mounts to heaven and sings
* Let my love be heard
*
* Let my love be heard
* Whispering in your wings
* Ah, ah, ah Ah, ah, ah, Ah, ah, ah *
* Let my love be heard
* Ah, ah, ah
* Angels where you soar
* Up to God
* Ah, ah, ah, ah
* Let my love be heard
[applause]
- Talent isn't based on where you live.
It is based on your heart
and your dedication
and your commitment.
It's the extra commitment that a student makes,
that a private teacher makes, that a parent makes,
that a public school teacher makes,
and says, if you're interested
and you want to work a little harder
and you want to practice a little harder
then you're distinguishing yourself
as something very, very special
and you're being rewarded
by playing beautiful music
in a wonderful All-State Honors Orchestra.
Two, and, one, two.
[orchestra plays]
That's it! That's it!
Music is another one of those outlets
that I think is terribly important
to influencing your life as a leader.
But these young people that are involved in music,
if these are our leaders of the future,
I think we're in pretty good shape.
["Malambo"]
[fun, sprightly music]
*
[cheers and applause]
- Edith Copley: I am the culmination
of everybody I've had the opportunity to work with,
including the people that I sang with
when I was in the All-State Choir in Iowa.
And I remember the first time that choir opened up and sang,
I think I had goosebumps for about three minutes.
There's something about the visceral quality of music.
There's no other art form that I think that does that.
That gives you that feeling.
Damoos. - Class: Damoos.
- Oops! [everyone laughing]
Edit that out! Ok.
[all laughing]
Music is never perfect.
It's always changing. It's ever-changing.
It's not about getting it to be perfect.
It's the journey of taking it someplace.
We create it anew every time.
And that's why I think it's very special.
[soft, flowing piano music]
["Your One and Only Life" Susan Crowe]
* About a thousand years ago
* When I was very young
* My hair burned like the sea
* Beneath an ever-rising sun
* My blood ran thick with promise *
* I was tender to the bone
* But now I'm Evangeline
* Made of stone
* This is your one and only life *
* What will you do?
* This is your one and only life *
* What will you do?
*
* Now the meteors of August
* They fly all through my hair
* The day will come when I will rise *
* To find my eye less fair
* And this body scorched by beauty *
* And these hands I left unplayed *
* What was I waiting for
* Afraid? * Oooo-ooo-ooo
* This is your one and only life *
* What will you do?
* This is your one and only life *
* What will you do?
*
* You can dream, you can imagine *
* You can simply hope and pray
* You can save yourself for glory *
* You can wait 'til judgment day *
* You can hold out 'til you stand *
* A breath away from heaven's gate *
* Your day of redemption will come *
* Too late
* This is your one and only life *
* What will you do?
* This is your one and only life *
* What will you do?
* This is your wild, your precious *
* Your one and only life
* What will you do?
* This is your one and only life *
* What will you do?
*
[applause]
- What are your impressions of the venue
that you're going to perform at tonight?
- [in a whisper] Gorgeous!
- It's so pretty! It's so nice!
- It's huge, and, like,
our voices just bounce off all the walls and it's awesome!
- Yeah, it's really nice.
["Cikala Le Pong Pong"]
[chant-like singing in Pakpaknese]
* Pong
* Cikala le pong pong
* Pong
* Ue merbuah si nangka bay le oe *
[pitch ascends a full octave]
* Si manguda bagendari en
* Dak mengkaba
[loudly and in a brisk tempo] * A ri cikala le pong pong
* Cikala le pong pong
* Pong cikala le pong pong
* Pong cikala le pong
* Cikala le pong pong
* Ue merbuah si nangka bay le oe *
* Si manguda bagendari en
* Dak mengkaba
[pitch ascending a full octave] * Ri
* Cikala le pong pong
* Ue merbuah si nangka bay le oe *
* Si manguda bagendari en
* Dak mengkaba
[pitch ascending a full octave] * Ri
* Mela mo cituk kene turang [stomp and clap]
* Mela mo cituk [clap]
* Ulang ulaken kene male [stomp and clap]
* Ulah-ulah nde neidi bagi [stomp and clap]
* U [Dum du ru dum du ru dum du ru du ru du ru]
* Lang [Dum du ru dum du ru dum du ru du ru du ru]
* Mo [Cikala le pong pong] [claps and stomp]
* Ndak
* Ba
* Gi
* Ndak bagi
* Cikala le pong pong
* Ue merbuah si nangka bay le oe *
* Si manguda bagendari en
* Dak mengkaba
[pitch ascending a full octave] * Ri * Pong
* Mela mo cituk kene turang [stomp, clap]
* Mela mo [stomp] cituk [clap]
* Ulang ulaken kene male [stomp, clap]
* Ulah-ulah nde neidi bagi [stomp, clap]
* U [Dum du ru dum du ru dum du ru du ru du ru]
* Lang [Dum du ru dum du ru dum du ru du ru du ru]
* Mo [Cikala le pong pong]
[stomp, clap, clap, stomp, clap, stomp]
[singing softly] * Ndak
* Ba
* Gi
* Ndak bagi
* Kade mo [snap] lemlem page [stomp] mu [clap] *
* Pucuk bin [stomp] coli mo [snap] kabir- ka [stomp] bi [clap] ren [snap]*
* Kade mo [snap] kelleng ate [stomp] mu [clap] *
* Anak ma [stomp] holi [snap] man pabing a [stamp] bingen [clap, snap] *
[singing loudly] * Pong [snap] kirpong lepong kirpong *
* Pong kirpong le pong kir * [Ha!] Pong *
[louder] * Pong [snap] kirpong le pong * [snap] kirpong [clap, clap]
* Pong [snap] kir [snap] pong lepong [snap] kirpong * [clap, clap]
* O
* Cikala
* Le
* Pong
* Pong! [drumming on hips]
[stomping] * Hei
[cheers and applause]
- Scott Jones: But when it's all said and done,
music, as an art form,
is really about deep, deep listening.
[singing falsetto] * Home of the brave
[class laughs] I want you to do something,
but definitely not home -- of -- the -- brave.
Not like Alexa! [laughter] Good?
So, one of the little mantras
that I've shared with these students is,
"Always listen louder than you play."
The goal is to find one another, sit back a little bit,
and listen, and take in more.
This isn't a contest.
This is all about helping and aiding
and being stewards of
and being responsible for things.
Not, "What's in it for me?"
but "What is it that I bring
that can actually serve the greater whole?"
I think that students need to hear that.
I think we all need to be reminded that we have something to offer
and that there's something that I bring to the world as me
that perhaps is going to make a real difference in the world.
["Fanfare 1 Chronicles 13:8"]
*
[applause]
- Richard Bjella: You know, I think
I always grow more than they would ever grow
because I think I have more to learn, quite frankly.
[ Beethoven "Choral Fantasy, Op. 80" in German] -Lohnt den Menschen Göttergunst.
- What'cha say? -Lohnt den Menschen Göttergunst.
- All: Göt--ter--gunst.
- So, this idea of unfolding knowledge
and not imparting knowledge.
I think there's knowledge and there's wisdom
in the youngest tenor in our choir.
Every student has something important to share.
I see all these kids
as having something that they can aim towards.
And maybe this is a catalyst
to unfolding something great within themselves.
["Refugee"]
*
* Refugee, refugee
*
* In your world
* I'm a refugee
* In your world
* Danger all around me
* All around me, all around me
* In your world I must flee
* I'm not free
*
* Bring me shelter
* I will not harm you
* Bring me shelter, please
* Bring me shelter
* I will not harm you
* I would shelter you
*
* I am only what you are
* What you are
*
* Imagine your unbreakable world *
* Was broken
* No more rules to protect you
* Imagine your unbreakable world *
* Was broken
* No more rules to protect you
* Who was I?
* In my world, I was standing strong *
* In my world, my heart did belong *
* And now it's gone
* There is only longing
* Only longing
*
* Bring me shelter
* I will not harm you
* Bring me shelter, please
* Bring me shelter
* I will not harm you
* I would shelter you
*
* I am only what you are
* What you are
* Imagine your unbreakable world *
* Was broken
* No more rules to protect you
* Imagine your unbreakable world *
* Was broken
* No more rules to protect you
* Imagine your unbreakable world *
* Was broken
* No more rules to protect you
*
* Refugee, refugee
*
["Past Life Melodies"]
*
[soulful resonant humming] * Mm, mm
* Mm, mm, mm
* Mm, mm
* Mm, mm, mm
* Mm, mm, mm, mm
* Mm
* Mm, mm, mm, mm
* Mm, mm, mm, mm, mm
* Mm, mm, mm, mm
[warm tone] * Ah, ah, ah
* Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah
* Ah, ah, ah
* Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah
* Ah, ah, ah
* Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah
* Ah, ah, ah, ah
[joyous tone] * Yeah, yeah
* Yeah
* Ooo
[chanting] * Nair, nair, nair, nadula
* Ooo
* Nair, nair, nair, nadula
* Mm
[footsteps]
[singing harmonic overtone]
[choir vocalizing]
*
[cheers and applause]
- David Becker: Coming back and knowing that
they are performing in the Overture Center in Madison
is a major inspiration for them.
They want us to strive for a great performance.
- It's an amazing experience.
It really pushes you to play to the best of your ability.
And it's such a cool experience to be able to play
in this Center with all these amazing musicians.
The sound is fantastic!
- Wisconsin is known throughout the country
as a leader in education and in music education.
But I think that we can't sit back.
We have to be progressive
and make sure that we don't lose this experience
for these students to have for the next 50 years.
["Symphony #3"]
*
[cheers and applause]
- Edith Copley: It's all about connections:
connection to the music; connection to each other;
a connection to the process.
And for them to just feel like an ensemble,
and working together for the common goal
of preparing the music
in the very best way that they know how.
That's how the sound hits.
* La, la, la
So you have to get the happiness in your eyes,
and just have all that space.
I'm hoping that they come out of this experience
with a sense of pride,
a sense of accomplishment,
but more importantly, the sense of camaraderie.
It'll be something that they'll remember for a long time.
I know I still think back on those days.
[singing "Bogoroditse Devo" in Russian]
* Bogoroditse Devo
* Raduisya
* Blagodatnaya
* Marie
* Gospod's Toboyu
* Blagoslovena
* Ti v'zhenah, i
* Blagosloven
[vocalizing at different pitches]
* Plod chreva Tvoego
* Yako Spasa rodila
* Esi dush
* Nashih
*
[cheers and applause]
- It's really fun coming here and having so many people
put in so much work for these songs
and conveying the message so well.
And having it come together and be a really good piece.
["I'll Fly Away"]
*
* Some glad morning when this life is o'er *
* I'll fly away
* To a home on God's celestial shore *
* I'll fly away
* O glory
* I'll fly away
* When I die,
* Hallelujah, by and by
* I'll fly away
* Fly away
*
* When the shadows of this life have gone *
* I'll fly away
* Like a bird from prison bars has flown *
* I'll fly away, fly away
* I'll fly away
* O glory
* I'll fly away
* When I die
* Hallelujah, by and by
* I'll fly away
* Fly away
*
* Just a few more weary days and then *
* I'll fly away
* To a land where joys shall never end *
* I'll fly away
*
[jaunty piano music] [laughter]
* Yes, I'll fly away
* O, I'll fly away in the morning *
* When I die
* Hallelujah, by and by
* O, I'll fly away
* I'll fly away
* Fly away!
[cheers and applause]
- There's something about music that brings people together.
Music touches emotions and it touches your heart.
It touches your soul.
And it also creates those memories that don't go away.
- High school theaters are not like this. [laughs]
So, it's a different experience.
It's neat.
It's something I'll remember.
- There's something special about standing on that stage
and looking out at that large audience
and being proud of what you've accomplished.
And with the Honors Project,
it's just the beginning for these students.
- The amount of hard work and dedication
that I put into my practicing, and developing my own skills
has certainly paid off.
I feel like it's a testament to not only myself
but the people who have helped get me here.
- Let's just celebrate what's possible
when young people are empowered by great teachers
and then nurtured by a terrific state music organization.
*
[cheers and applause]
- Funding for the 2018 WSMA High School State Honors Concerts
was provided, in part, by
A. Paul Jones Charitable Trust,
and Friends of Wisconsin Public Television.