Pascack Hills Chamber Choir members Hadyn Hopper, Colin Barry, Elijah Chen, Camilla Ambrocio, and Reina Aliko and Concert Band member Olivia Ge performed this past month with the NJMEA All-State Mixed Chorus and the All-State Orchestra, respectively. The 350-voice chorus and 100-piece orchestra are composed of the highest-performing high school music students in New Jersey. This year marks a record number of accepted students into the All-State ensembles.

Members auditioned in early spring and resumed intense rehearsals throughout the fall. Chorus repertoire included songs such as “Msifuni Mungu!” by Jarrett Roseborough, “All Night I Could Not Sleep” by Laurel Luke Christensen Words and Tzŭ-Yeh, and “Can We Sing the Darkness to Light” by Kyle Pederson. Band repertoire included “Star Wars Suite” along with many other pieces.

“My favorite song was “When Thunder Comes” [by Mari Ésabel Valverde] because the dynamics and different voice parts put together made it sound really good. It was a very complex song, but it had an amazing message,” said Ambrocio.

Students united for their first full-ensemble rehearsals in Atlantic City with a three-day trip. Here, musicians met the rest of their sections and learned to create music together. The songs were polished for performance in multiple intensive rehearsals.

“It was so special because I got to meet people who had similar interests and love music the way I do,” said Chen.

The ensembles’ thorough preparation culminated in two performances on Friday, Nov. 10 at 8 p.m. in the Adrian Phillips Ballroom at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City and Sunday, Nov. 19 in Prudential Hall at the NJPAC in Newark. 

“The concerts were not just showcases of what we have been working towards but also moments that created lasting memories. Overall, the sense of accomplishment, skill development, and the friendships forged made my time in All-State unforgettable” said Ge.