La Vie En Rose

Photo+Courtesy+of+the+CdM+Vocal+Music+Department

Photo Courtesy of the CdM Vocal Music Department

Katherine Popper and Nadia Khazei

On February 11, 2023, CdM Vocal Music hosted their fifth annual Dessert Show and Silent Auction, a Valentine’s Day-themed concert. Named “La Vie En Rose ” after the song, which was performed at the opening of the show by the treble acapella group Triads, the show featured numerous ensemble and solo performances as well as a silent auction where guests could bid on a number of fun items.

The concert, which is one of the only choral events run almost exclusively by parent volunteers, serves as the choir program’s primary fundraising event of the school year. The money raised from admission and the auction items is used to fund participation in local choir festivals, pay for vocal lessons, and offer scholarships for the upcoming competition this summer in Powell River, British Columbia.

The items available at the auction were donated by members of the Vocal Music ensembles as well as businesses and families within the greater CdM community. Some notable items included lessons with the lead guitarist from The Killers, a stay in Pelican Hill Resort, and a limited edition XBOX/Taco Bell gaming set. One item that is of particular use, according to senior Claire Taylor, was a starting cooking class which, due to the lack of trust many parents had in their children’s cooking skills, ended up being very popular among the parents according to Taylor.

As part of the auction, small plates of various desserts were on offer, all on theme for the concert. Included were sugar cookies from Mixed Bakery, candies from Santa Ana Sweets, and heart-shaped macarons. Also available was a wide selection of tea and hot chocolate served by parent volunteers.

The event was hosted outside in the school’s quad and consisted of two stages: one set up on the turf circle with risers for the ensembles, and the other was the stage that was prepared for the soloists and any instruments they used. From acoustic guitars to drums to electric guitars to cellos, many students choose to bring in instruments to add some variety to the show. David Zheng and James Lehealy brought out their cellos to play AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” to the delight of many, including Taylor who “really liked that they used instruments and not just singing.” The utilization of space for the different groups also allowed the show to flow very smoothly by allowing transitions of the choirs themselves to happen during solo performances and never causing a break in the program.

Since this concert is used to highlight soloists, 20 different soloists or groups performed alongside the nine choral ensembles. Some highlights of the soloists include Sara Villaveces and Mady Lubavin singing “Motion Sickness” by Phoebe Bridgers, who, according to freshman Emma Figueroa, “were just fabulous.” The soloists have a lot to be proud of from so many amazing performances, a fact that was agreed upon by Jessica Miramadi, a junior that was a part of multiple performances throughout the show and had “a lot of fun” and “wishes she could do it again” when asked about her duet of “Let You Break My Heart Again” by Laufey that she did with fellow talented singer, Rabin.

The ensembles performed a wide variety of pieces, allowing everybody to find something that they enjoyed. Miramadi shared that her personal favorite performance was “Vox Angelica’s performance because their song fit the atmosphere well.” The male barbershop group the Kings of Harmony performed “Goodnight, Sweetheart,” the CdM Madrigal Singers presented a set with an Appalachian folk song and an Indonesian piece, and Profundo sang the Backstreet Boys’ “I Want It That Way,” which proved to be a crowd favorite, and as Miramadi put it “absolutely stunning as always.” A sentiment that seemed to be agreed upon by the crowd. Included in the show in addition to the school choirs, were the Young Singers of Orange County, a local singing group for children who sang “Three Little Birds” by Bob Marley.

Overall, the event was deemed a success by the vocal music department and resulted in their fundraising goals being met.