St. John's School Hosts Fall Choral Concert

The evening opened with music performed by the St. John’s Singers, consisting of Class 4 and Class 5 students, under the direction of Aaron Krouse and Jeanna Villanueva. Their selections included “Benedicamus Domino,” “Where the Light Begins,” and “TāReKiṬa.” 

The Boy Choir, featuring Middle School students, took the stage under the direction of Scott Bonasso. Their performance covered a variety of genres including “Hakuna Mungu Kama Wewe,” an East African worship song, and “Shady Grove,” an Appalachian folk song. 

Next, Middle School girl choir Cantatores performed under the direction of Brendan Emig. Their selections included classical choral arrangements including “Sing to Me” and “After the Rain” in addition to “La Paloma,” a Venezuelan song of the gaita de tambora genre.

Les Chanteuses, the treble choir comprised of Class 9 and Class 10 girls, delivered a mix of stylings directed by Emig including “Hope is the Thing with Feathers,” derived from the classic Emily Dickinson poem, in addition to “Il Est Bel Et Bon,” a French Renaissance chanson. 

Kantorei, the Upper School Chamber Choir which performs exclusively a capella, offered an impressive range of Hawaiian, Indonesian, and Greek pieces. Sam Caruso '27 performed as a soloist during “Alanui Maika’I,” with Olivia Calabrese '27 and Benjamin Armstrong '28 contributing solos to “Tokecang.”

“The Fall Choral Concert is such a great concert because it is everyone's first impression of the new choirs,” said Calabrese. “I have loved choir throughout all seven years, but there is something special about Kantorei, because it is a smaller choir and the community is incredible. I am so proud of how far the choirs have come since the beginning of August to now, and the transformation is truly incredible. Overall, the choirs at St. John's perform at such a high level and I am so grateful that I can be a part of it.”

“What's beautiful about choir, for me, is that it only truly comes alive when everyone is present in this music-making endeavor,” said Caruso. “Singing in a group is difficult. Individuals need to change their vowel shape to create a blended sound, listen to their neighbors for tuning and rhythm, and watch Mr. Bonasso for cues—all while singing their own part. This is what makes being a part of the Fine Arts program at SJS so rewarding—I'm part of something greater, something created only when we are all fully attuned to others.”

Rounding off the evening was the Chorale, the Upper School mixed choir. The large group performed a variety including “Requiem” and “Every Child Has Known God.” Choir President Suraj Verma '27 delivered a solo during “I’ll Be On My Way.” 

The concert concluded with a performance of “We Are the Music Makers” by the combined SJS choirs.

The following individuals contributed their instrumental talents to the concert: Ema Armanious, Flute; Scott Bonasso, Percussion; Ian Byrne, Percussion; Aaron Hervey, Choral Accompanist; Marcus Lee, Cello; Nick Thomas, Percussion; Alisa Pederson, Violin; and Juan Perez, Guitar.

Next up, you can experience the work of SJS musicians at the Middle School/Upper School Fall Band/Orchestra Concert, taking place Sunday, October 25, 2026, at 7 p.m. in the Lowe Theater.