March 14, 2012

Holyoke Catholic students showcase their artistic and musical talents

Story and photos by Julie Beaulieu

CHICOPEE – “Tonight’s really a celebration of the arts for us,” said Theresa Kitchell, Holyoke Catholic High School principal, about the music performance and art exhibit held at the school on March 9.

“We have a tradition of both the graphic arts and the performing arts,” Kitchell said. “I think it gives students the opportunity to go outside of themselves and create in ways that maybe they wouldn’t in a normal classroom setting. For us, that’s a very important part of their education process.

“Our fall musicals, for instance, have about a third of the student body involved in them, so that right there is some testimony as to how important we think the arts are,” explained Kitchell.

In a performance by the school’s acclaimed A Cappella Choir, Gospel favorites such as “Stay With Me,” “We’re Marchin’ On,” and “How Great Thou Art” were interwoven with multicultural spirituals, like “Kyrie,” “Haleluya Pelo Tsa Rona” and “Siyahamba.”

“The concert is similar to concerts they have given all over the area, some at Mont Marie, at nursing homes, at churches. And so it’s a culmination of a lot of small work that they’ve done all year to create this concert,” said Kitchell.

Senior Kevin Lempke has been in the choir since his freshman year and says singing is one of his passions. “We start practicing every year the first week of school,” said Lempke

“It’s been really fun for us because we learned a lot of new songs just for this concert, plus we brought back songs because we knew there would be alumni,” he said. “To go back to songs I learned freshmen year and to see… a new generation learning them, it was very fun and interesting to me.”

“I’ve been in A Cappella for four years and it’s helped me a lot because when I came here freshman year, I would sing in the shower but I didn’t know anything about singing,” laughed Lampke. “I thought I did, but I really didn’t, and it helped me a lot to learn how to use my voice.”

After an hour-long performance, directed by Joseph Toritto, the crowd moved into the gallery to see the artwork of teacher Jackie Boudreau-Kinsey’s students.

Among a variety of colorful two-dimensional and three-dimensional works, a popular attraction was the collection of pencil-sketched self-portraits.

“We had to do a black and white self-portrait based on shading,” explained senior Calla Carigan. “And we took pictures of ourselves in a dark room with a light shining on us, and copied the picture again, and added words in the background, like characteristics or inspiring words.”

However, the most unique exhibit seen here was the colored packing tape, life-sized sculptures that stood in a front window surrounded by theatrical lights.