ncssm I the stentorian
Latin America Test Sizzles With Excitement
BY Sara Wise
O n Saturday, January
22nd, students at
NCSSM had the
opportunity to step out of the
cold and into the sizzling hot
hispanic culture at Latin
America Fest. This festival
was organized by seniors Aden
VanNoppen and Elena Bryce,
and hosted by the MFCs and
the Hispanic Cultures Club.
The occurence of this excit
ing new festival is a very sig
nificant step in increasing
awareness of other cultures.
VanNoppen explains, "Latin
cultures are becoming increas
ingly more important in our
community, both inside and
outside the NCSSM campus.
It is important that we recog
nize and celebrate these cul
tures in order to raise aware
ness and appreciation of
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them."
For the event, the
PEC was transformed into a
carnival. Delicious tortillas
and quesadillas were served as
the NCSSM Jazz Combo set
the atmosphere. The audience
was then entertained by a per
formance by Elena
Bryce and Elizabeth
Moose. The duo
recited two poems
from Chilean poet
Pablo Neruda. One
of the poems,
"Cuerpo de mujer,"
was particularly
enchanting, with lines
•such as, "Body of a
woman, white hills, white
thighs, you look like a world,
lying in surrender."
Following the poetry read
ing, the audience was treated
with a story reading by Rachel
Wingo. Everyone listened
intently to find out whether the
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Happy V-day'!
-Anna
protagonist would be able to
outwit the lady Death.
Without a doubt, those who
came to the festival were lucky
to leam about the passion and
the culture of Latin American
literature.
Next, the audience enjoyed
It is important that we
recognize and ceiebrate
these cuRnres in order
to raise awareness and
appreciation of them."
the privilege of hearing guest
speaker Professor Steve Ellner,
who has been living in
Venezuela for the past 30
years. Although Professor
Ellner hadn't planned on stay
ing more than a semester, he
was enticed by the hospitality
To Mr. Zachary
“Nice" Armfield
Here's to the all-
sefing eye of drama,^
Uoughing at Stoddard
.dnd Stoppard,
Commendations ond.
SAT scores ^
"For me to poop on,"
and big babies
Thanks for making
04-05 a bit funnier.
-The Versatile actor
of the Venezuelans and the
interesting situation of the
laborers. He had an incredible
wealth of knowledge to share
that provided listeners the
opportunity to understand the
unique situation of one Latin
American country.
Soon afterwards, the fies
ta started heating up.
VanNoppen and salsa dancer
Andrpw Pearson performed
two beautiful Spanish dances.
The crowd could not take their
eyes off of the graceful pair as
they whirled around the dance
floor.
Another fast-paced and
lively dance demonstration
followed, led by flamenco
dancer Sharon Bryant. She
later gave a brief dancing les
son for anyone who wanted to
leam the rhythmic steps of the
flamenco.
After the scheduled events
had taken place, everyone par-
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Love, your Sohi^okurus
took in the fun activities of the
carnival. Participants could
choose from a variety of
games and activities, from
swinging at a pinata to making
paper flowers.
As Latin America Fest drew
to a close, everyone was sorry
to leave. However, they
encountered one last surprise
before they left. Every person
who took their shoes off before
entering the festival found that
their shoes were now filled
with candy. This is a popular
Christmas custom in many
Latin American countries.
This is also just another
example of the detail and ded
ication that was put into the
festival by the MFCs and the
Hispanic Cultures Club.
Everyone who attended the
festival is already hoping that
this will become a part of the
NCSSM cultural tradition that
will continue in the future.
To Robin Kandl
I wove you very much!
You are the best room
mate I could, eyer have
.. thesd^pasiUwo years.
l^^opeana
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Love, Jane Lee
NCSSM Performs the Lord Nelson Mass
Lucie Guo
TZ
D uring the summer of
1798, in the Battle of
the Nile, Napoleon
was devastated by the British
navy under the command of
Admiral Horatio Nelson.
Seven years later.
Admiral Nelson stopped
Napoleon from invading
England and died in the
stmggle.
While Europe was
gripped in the turmoil of
the Napoleonic wars, the
composer Joseph Haydn
worked within earshot of
battle cannons. That
summer, Haydn composed the
choral piece - Mass in D minor
- also called the “Mass in Time
of Distress”. It was later
named the Lord Nelson Mass
in tribute to the admiral.
Now, more than 200 years
after its composition, the mas
terpiece will be resurrected on
the stage of our own auditori
um. It brings together the
NCSSM Chorale, Orchestra,
and the choir of Durham’s
Blacknall Memorial
Presbyterian Church.
Mr. Scott Laird, conduc
tor of the NCSSM groups, said
that this collaboration between
student and adult choirs is an
endeavor that NCSSM has
never attempted before. He
teams up with Mr. Dave
Stuntz, who is his old fiiend
and the conductor of the
Blacknall choir.
“Here is a project that
thrusts folks ranging from
"The choras is essentially
screaming the text, with
kettle drnms booming and
trnmnets blaring away."
teenagers to 60-plus-year-
olds into the same arena, with
the same goals; they are
peers.” Stuntz said.
Laird and Stuntz both
noted that the appeal of the
Mass was the way it defied
choral expectations of the
time. “The high dramatic ele
ments in this piece stood out to
both of us,” Stuntz comment
ed.
The Lord Nelson Mass is
Hadyn’s biggest, most well-
known choral work. It is also
his only mass in a minor key.
The text of this work praises
God, but the music does not
have a serene and prayerful
setting. Instead, it is often
intertwined with frustration
and anger. In the Benedictus
movement, the orchestra
begins with a storm. Three
trumpets create a war-like fan
fare in the climax of the move
ment. “The chorus is essen
tially screaming the text, with
kettle drums booming
and trumpets blaring
away.” Stuntz
described. Through
such unconventional
elements, the composi-
|tion sends out a dis
turbing message
“Where is the
blessed one? Is
that person coming at
all?”
“The best art some
times raises the most dis
quieting of questions.”
Stuntz said.
Through bringing
Hadyn’s masterpiece to
life, NCSSM students
adults of the Blacknall choir
partake in a unified endeavor
of music-making. Even
NCSSM faculty members are
getting involved in the project.
Dr. Jo Ann Lutz participates as
an alto singer in the NCSSM
Chorale. “I have always loved
singing,” she said. “The stu
dents are very talented and
also very helpful to me.”
“Rehearsals are fun,” said
Toan Tran-Phu, a violinist in
the NCSSM Orchestra, “but
they are also terse and focused.
The performance is soon, and
the pressure is mounting. But
it’s music, so we have fun.”
Preparing such a
masterpiece involves immense
dedication. The performers
are required to attend
rehearsals outside of class,
even on a Saturday morning.
But many agree that such
efforts reap great rewards. “As
.much as I love the perform
being
passionate engagement with the
moment, being filled up with the
music, the text, and the lives around
you.”
and
ing,” Stuntz said, “I love
the rehearsing even more.”
Both he and Laird believe
that one of the most enjoyable
aspects of music-making is its
social, interactive environ
ment. “The heart of art is rela
tionships,” Stuntz commented,
“lives touching lives, intersect
ing, impacting and
impacted by others.”
“The process begins with my
seeking to ‘hear’ what Haydn
is saying to.me from 1798,”
Stuntz said, “then - my life
intersecting with Mr. Laird's,
each of us talking and rehears
ing with our respective choirs,
then combining and continu
ing the process. And the per
formance is the extension of
that: the performers are
touched by the music, they
have the opportunity to touch
the audience.”
“That's the big deal to me,”
he continued, “not musical
purity or perfection of per
formance, but a pas
sionate engagement
with the moment, being
filled up with the
music, the text, and the
lives around you.
What an astonishing
privilege is ours in the
arts, to spend our time
in such pursuits!”
The NCSSM music depart
ment invites you to join them
in the experience. The per
formance of the Mass will take
the stage on March 12, at
4:00pm in the NCSSM audito
rium.