Northside Night + 350 Voices Equals a Feast for the Ears
You should’ve heard the spirit singing out at North High School last night as 350 choristers from five schools across all levels joined forces to give voice to a resurrection of community pride. They called it Northside Night and said they plan to make it an annual event. From the look and feel and sound of things last night, once a year may not be enough.
The crowd overflowed the auditorium’s main floor and rose into the balcony. Findley Elementary was there to belt out The Power of the Dream. The Madison Singing Lions chanted out a stirring rendition of Singabahambayo, a Zulu folk song. Oak Park’s 5th grade choristers offered some up-tempo Gershwin on I’ve Got Rhythm. Harding Middle School’s 7th and 8th grade choir opened the program with a spiritual entitled, Shine On Me and the 6th graders later chimed in with The Storm is Passing Over.
There was energy in the hall throughout and it really bubbled up when the North Soul & Gospel Choir, under the dynamic direction of first-year vocal music teacher Vanessa Brady, throbbed into The Blood Still Works and We Acknowledge You. The crowd couldn’t help getting involved and their rhythmic clap-along burst into a joyous ovation when those tunes were through.
Then Brady and her counterparts at the other schools (Nels Dovre; Madison, Dustin Harmsen; Oak Park, Jane Olson, Findley and Amanda Stevenson; Harding) massed their choirs for I Can and the finale, Jim Papoulis’ popular youth choral anthem, Give Us Hope.
If there is anything lacking on the Northside, it sure ain’t hope. From the moment North Principal, the irrepressible Matt Smith, and DMPS Interim Superintendent Tom Ahart welcomed everybody to the show it was loud and clear that hope springs freely in that part of town these days.
