Upper school choral groups Acoustics, Bel Canto, Camerata, Cantilena and Guys’ Gig performed in a concert held in Nichols Auditorium from 6:15 to 7:15 p.m today.

The concert, titled “Voice on the Wind,” featured ensembles directed by upper school vocal music teachers Susan Nace and Jennifer Sandusky. Admission to the event was free.

Acoustics and Camerata started off the show singing John Williams and Leslie Bricusse’s “Somewhere in My Memory” while ringing handbells, which were tuned to certain notes. Camerata then sang a rendition of “A Tisket, A Tasket.”

They were followed by Bel Canto, who performed the first two sections from Emma Lou Diemer’s “Three Madrigals,” English folk song “Barbara Allen” and James Pierpont’s “Jingle Bells.” Bel Canto pianist Ihita Mandel (11) accompanied the ensemble for “Jingle Bells.”

“My brother was singing in Bel Canto, so I just came to support him. I really liked all the songs that Guys’ Gig did. I thought those were really fun and really catchy; I loved the harmony. I hope they do something like this more often,” Jasmine Wiese (10) said.

Afterwards, Guys’ Gig sang Billy Joel’s “The Longest Time,” Frank Slay and Bob Crewe’s “Silhouettes” and Billy Strayhorn’s “Take the ‘A’ Train.” The group also made the audience laugh with the skits they performed in between songs.

“I know somebody from Guys’ Gig, and he asked me to come see the concert. [I liked] “The Longest Time,” but for me it’s a little bit different because I grew up with my parents listening to that song,” Harker Robotics mentor Brian Oldziewski said.When I was in junior high, I actually used to sing that for fun, so it was cool to see all of them singing it.”

The last group to perform was Cantilena, who finished off the night with Sarah Quartel’s “Voice on the Wind,” Caterina Assandra’s “Duo Seraphim,” Ruth Elaine Schram and Celsie Staggers’ “All the World is Winter” and Abbie Betinis’ “Jerusalem Luminosa.”

“We had performed a lot of the songs we sang today at an outside concert that we guested at earlier this school year. I like the quiet song ‘Duo Seraphim’ and the really fast-paced one, ‘Jerusalem Luminosa,’” Cantilena member Catherine Wang (11) said. “[The first one] reminds me of singing in a church, while the other one is kind of hectic because one part sings and the other part sings at the same time, and their notes intertwine.”

Upcoming events featuring the upper school’s performing arts department include the upper school’s annual dance production, themed “Viva Las Vegas” this year, at the Blackford theater on Jan. 26 and 27.

Gallery • 3 Photos

Laura Wu

Bel Canto performs their set at the vocal concert. Bel Canto pianist Ihita Mandal (11) accompanied the group for their performance of James Pierpont’s “Jingle Bells.”