Whenever given the opportunity to listen to the Fidelio Society, one is always amazed by their talent and beautiful voices. Comprised of a select 15 individuals, the group has the highest prestige of all singing groups on campus. Usually, students are only lucky enough to hear them at an occasional All School Meeting here or there. However, to the delight of many, the Fidelio Society put on an informal concert open to all members of the community last Tuesday night in Ropes Salon. Although they started a little behind schedule, the singers made up for their tardiness with the flawlessness of their performance. The concert was brief, lasting for about 25 minutes or so, and was greatly enjoyed by the large number of students, faculty, and family members who filled Ropes. To credit their conductor, Ms. Skelton, the singers were consistently synchronized and harmonious for all nine songs. If they ever faltered, it was unnoticeable, and it was evident that much practice and preparation were put into the afternoon’s recital. The show began with “O Sing Joyfully,” a spirited and energetic piece that was well harmonized and well projected. This was followed by another jovial song, which alternated soft melodies and forceful verses. The sopranos stood out in this piece, reaching the difficult high notes with ease. To mix up the show a bit, the group sang two French songs (with surprisingly good accents.) One was of a slower pace and had a strong resonance and a darker mood than the previous songs. The second was more rapid and succinct; there was excellent harmony amongst the tenors, altos, sopranos and basses. The next piece, a Welsh folk song titled “My Sweetheart’s Like Venus,” had a very pretty sound and was again in perfect synchronization. The girls and boys alternated, one group singing while the other accompanied them by humming, then came back together in unison. The singers had no difficulties with the transitions and the melody flowed very smoothly throughout the song. This was followed by “Sweet, Come Away,” where the sopranos again amazed the crowd by reaching very high notes without allowing their voices to become shaky. Next were two Shakespearean songs, composed by Matthew Harris. The first had a gloomy tone but a powerful resonance and sent chills down listeners’ spines. The piece began with the altos and sopranos, who were later joined by the tenors and basses. With a sharp, unexpected ending, it was well received by the audience who clapped with delight at its conclusion. The second Shakespearean song was of a more cheerful note; the basses did an excellent job providing a good undertone for the rest of the singers. “Loch Lomond,” a Scottish folk song, wrapped up the show. The tenors introduced the piece, then were joined by the rest of the group. Beautifully sung, the song’s nice lyrics were accentuated by the exceptional harmony of the singers. The audience displayed their enjoyment of the afternoon concert with enthusiastic applause. Fidelio proved their talent effortlessly and left the crowd in awe of their capabilities. The show served as a mock rehearsal for the group, who will be performing the aforementioned songs and others during their trip to California over spring break, where they plan to sing in three separate cities at private clubs. Fidelio member Yurie Sekigami ’06 was happy with Tuesday’s performance, saying, “I think it went really well…the audience seemed to like it a lot, and I really hope that when we go to California the reactions of the people we perform for will be as good as the ones we got [today].”
