The United States Navy Band Sea Chanters, the top choir of the U.S.Navy, graced AHS with a performance this week. During their concert on Feb. 21, they performed an assortment of different styled songs, all of which were accompanied by their band. The concert was held in the auditorium and was free for students and anyone else who wanted to enjoy the show. Jessica Lardin, AHS’s Choral Director, sponsored the event.
“The thing I love most about the Sea Chanters chorus is being able to meet people in the immediate area and being able to be the face of the navy. It means a lot. I also love touring across the country,” Musician First Class Jennifer Stothoff said.
The performance began with the Star Spangled Banner, sung by the entire chorus. The performances then were separated, with the men singing first as the history of the chorus was told, followed by the women’s songs, with the narrator speaking of the women’s integration into the group.
Afterwards, the two groups joined back together, singing several songs such as “Wade in the Water” and “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” which the narrator announced was played at President John F. Kennedy’s funeral and from which Martin Luther King Jr. pulled a quote for a famous speech.
The show then transitioned when the chorus broke into small groups, solos and independent song renditions. Noted songs included “I’ll Be seeing you,” sung by the Mixed Jazz Quartet. Some group pieces even became theatrical, including when the small group ensemble performed “The Little Things We Do Together” and “I’m Not Getting Married Tonight.” Both were acted out with costumes and storylines.
More theatrics came when a small ensemble group pulled several selections from the musical Jersey Boys, including “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Walk Like a Man,” and “Oh What a Night,” They even sang “Rag Doll,” with the lead singer going into the audience and picking Lardin to play the role of the woman the song is written about.
They ended the show by dedicating the final songs to fellow U.S veterans in the audience. Stothoff joined the choir recently.
“I had just got my degree from Townson University when I found out about the Sea Chanters Choir through a family member and decided to try out. I made it and I’ve been here for 10 years now,” Stothoff said. “Generally, we perform throughout the D.C Metropolitan area, but once a year, we do a nation wide tour.”
To find out more about the Sea Chanters, go to http://www.navyband.navy.mil/Sea_Chanters.
