The Halcyonite

By Imogen, 26’

Halcyon’s annual music show was a brilliant success to mark the beginning of February and the end of a happy term. Soloists and ensemble members grades 6-12 experienced the rewarding thrill of performing for an audience so full it overflowed. After the performance, the Stern hall buzzed with the pride of family, friends, classmates, and performers enjoying the fruits of their weeks of enriching preparation and rehearsal. 

The show opened with the lauded Grade 12 band who brought the audience back to 1987 with a slowed-down, dazed-out reworking of The Cure’s “Just Like Heaven”, softened by the duplexity of two angelic, feminine voices as opposed to Robert Smith’s ardent wail. A possible addition of a drummer was the only thing that could have aided the group’s impassioned performance. Following this, one of the group’s singers Barbara ‘24 stepped down for a solo performance of Noah Kahn’s “Northern Attitude”, pulling the assemblage back to the present day by the force of her emotional presence. Barbara demonstrated a recording-quality ‘indie’ voice complete with effortless riffs, resulting in a sound both original and soothing to the ear. 

Later, as the final student performer, the other singer Tilda ‘24 completed her band-mate’s Noah Kahn couplet with a rendition of his all-encapsulating “Everywhere, everything”. Her voice, stage present, and guitar self-accompaniment projected nothing but sweetness. After the show, she credited opportunities at Halcyon that have facilitated her discovery of what it is she loves to do. She described the process of applying to both music and science programs for university and the big decisions that await her.

To close the evening, a professional musician graced Halcyon’s stage. Alumna Melina Blanco is now a university graduate whose original songs can be streamed on Spotify and other platforms. Her voice was compelling, lyrics vivid and honest. Her performance brought pride into the hearts of the Halcyon community. 

One of the most enriching aspects of the experience was the tangible progression of musical youths from young to old. The immense potential of Les Mice Bros, currently a Grade 7 explorations band, indicated a promising future by the time they reached Grade 12.  For the time being, audience’s eyes took a moment to adjust to the image of such young people with this abundance of stage comfort and musical focus. Henry ‘28 performed a notable guitar solo on “Stop Crying Your Heart Out” by Oasis and the group’s “Teenage Dirtbag” by Wheatus dripped with adorable irony. This mysteriously-named band even showed ability in their rendition of the Rolling Stones’ “Paint, It Black.” 

The piano solos interwoven throughout the show ranged from older students with a taste for contemporary and modern pieces like Raj’s ‘26 sensitive modern “River Flows In You” and Ciaran’s ‘25 thundering “Clare de Lune” to enthused young classical performers such as Sophie ’30 who performed Farrenc’s “Mouvement de Valse” on piano.

The program’s youthful guide, “MC Walt” ‘28 wowed the audience with class and charisma. Halcyon’s first ever vocal group (likely interested in acquiring new members) – the Halcyon Choir – gave their debut with a crisp rendition of Bastille’s “Pompeii.”  Other soloist performers including Mattia ‘25, Josh ‘25, Nima ‘25, Danny ‘26, and Melvil ’29 exhibited their potential as lead guitarists, promising violinists, and buoyant drummers. Liam ‘24’s “Fearless” by Pink Floyd was a blessing of acoustic musicality and gentleness: a song choice hard to ruin but challenging to live up to at the level Liam did with his palpable emotional and musical understanding of the piece. 

Timothy Burtenshaw, Halcyon’s second year music teacher and the impetus of the night’s affairs expressed future ambitions for the show. “M.C Walt, next year, is gonna be wearing a full suit,” he promised. “We’re going to have to incorporate some sort of ragtime dance for him to come on to the stage to.”  

Image sourced from Halcyon Communications