arts on the hill “Mary Poppins” arrived at Flint Hill School in the spring of 2017 for two weekends of sold-out performances. Kites flew high over the stage as the ensemble created theatrical magic with outstanding performances. For his outstanding portrayal of Bert, Henry Jeanneret ’18 was nominated for Best Actor in a Musical by the Critics and Awards program of the Capital Region, also known as the Cappies. The large scale of the production was seen in the number of cast and crew involved; there were so many soloists that 20 microphones and 180 batteries were used. Live music was provided with an orchestra pit of student-musicians accompanied by every faculty member from the Music program, all playing together for the first time.
Arts Jam 2017, held at George Mason University’s (GMU) Concert Hall in April, was themed “Legacies,” and featured 160 of Flint Hill’s Upper School Music and Dance students. Among the highlights: the Major Minors sang hits by Bruno Mars and Adele; the Orchestra performed music from “Pirates of the Caribbean;” the Percussion ensemble played “Rainforest Journey;” the Jazz Band played “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square;” and the Modern and Jazz dancers performed to original choreography.
In May, Middle School student-musicians excelled in competition, winning the Esprit de Corps trophy at their spring music festival. The award recognized the entire school group for their decorum, comportment, discipline and spirit. It’s fair to say that the Middle School musicians lived Flint Hill’s four core values very well during the festival, and it showed. In addition to the trophy, the students completed the competition with impressive results: Advanced Orchestra, Superior, First Place; Advanced Percussion, Superior, First Place; Advanced Band, Excellent, First Place; Advanced Chorus, Excellent, First Place. For the final spring concerts of the year, the Lower School Music program added storytelling to their traditional performances. In addition to the energetic Ghanaian drumming and dancing by the third- and fourthgraders, students in Junior Kindergarten, Kindergarten, Grade 1 and Grade 2 performed stories of Anansi the spider. Musical instruments and movement accompanied a narrator in the telling of the surprising tales.
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The same week that students were on stage at GMU, 175 of our Visual Arts students were busy installing their work for the Upper School Visual Arts Show opening, which took place on April 24. The well-received exhibit showcased the creative results from what the students learned in our studios all year. The Lower and Middle School Art Show also displayed some of the best student work of the year. Gallery walks and talks were held for a month to share the students’ art with the school community and visitors. Between the two campuses more than 600 works of art were displayed.
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