Ethereal and emotive, orchestral music simultaneously can soothe the “savage breast” and uplift the downtrodden. Combine those elements with lovely singing and opera classics, you then have a hit concert that also is right in your backyard.
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The three orchestras at Barrington High School invite you to their spring “Opera” concert at 7 p.m. May 4 at the high school, 616 W. Main St., Barrington.
Approximately 150 students will perform in the concert. Each orchestra “will be playing some of the best loved tunes from operas, and we will feature one of our orchestra members singing two arias — ‘O Mio Babbino Caro’ by Puccini and ‘The Laughing Song’ by Strauss,” said Clark Sheldon, orchestra teacher at Barrington High School.
Admission to the event is free and open to the public.
As May 4 is also “Star Wars Day,” the three orchestras will highlight some unique pieces, including a “Star Wars” medley by the symphony orchestra.
“May the 4th be with you,” quipped Sheldon.
Sheldon has taught at Barrington High School for 16 years and concurrently taught elementary orchestra the first 14 of those years.
“Over the years, the program has grown and, two years ago, I was made full time at BHS. In addition to teaching four orchestra classes, I also teach AP Music Theory,” he said.
As a singer, I always find it interesting to find out why educators in the arts feel that public school education is important.
Besides obvious enjoyment for the arts, many studies over the years have shown that there may be a direct link between arts education and intelligence. In a 2011 study by Franziska Dege, Claudia Kubicek and Gudrun Schwarzer titled, “Music Lessons and Intelligence: A relation mediated by executive functions,” it stated that evidence exists to suggest that “increased executive functioning skills are related both to prolonged musical instruction and higher IQ.”
Functions, such as inhibition and attention, were “the most influential aspects mediating IQ,” the study said.
I asked Sheldon why he feels that music education is important, and he shared more practical and feel-good reasons.
“I believe that music education is a critical part of a well-rounded education,” Sheldon said. “Music programs, like orchestra, are so important to be a part of public education because it gives students access and opportunity to programs they might not have done on their own. Getting started in music can be difficult on your own — getting lessons, buying an instrument, joining an ensemble — and giving students the opportunity to do that in the school setting provides that opportunity to many more students.
“In addition, students need music more than ever as a chance to get in touch with their expressive side, to work with their hands to make something with the people around them, and to study the cultures of the past and present,” Sheldon said. “With all of the time people spend on screens, we are proudly analog.”
Kimberly Albrecht is a freelance columnist for Pioneer Press. Reach her at [email protected].