Welcome to the Davenport Pops Orchestraâs biggest concert of the 2025-2026 school year! As Co-Presidents, we thank you for coming and hope you enjoy the concert.
Founded in 2005, DPops brings together Yale students from different majors, backgrounds, and residential colleges who are passionate about the performance of quality orchestral music. As Yaleâs premier pops orchestra, our repertoire includes pop songs, ïŹlm scores, Broadway hits, popular classical works, hip-hop, and more. We hope to bring a nontraditional interpretation of orchestral music into the community with our performances so enthusiastic music lovers and casual music enjoyers alike will be entertained!
We hope you are swept away by the magniïŹcent theatrical landscape of Phantom of the Opera, get transported to lands of dinosaurs and dragons with selections from Jurassic Park and How to Train Your Dragon, enjoy a wistful Studio Ghibli classic of Spirited Away, and sing and dance along to some rock hits from Queen!
For more information about the orchestra, please visit www.dpops.com, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram @davenportpops. Videos of the concert will be available on our YouTube channel shortly after the performance.
Weâre so grateful that you can join us. On behalf of the Davenport Pops Orchestra, we welcome you to our concert! We hope you enjoy the music!
With DâLove, Iris Liebman BR â27, iris liebman@yale edu
Amy Metrick SM â27, amy.metrick@yale.edu
The Davenport Pops Orchestra Co-Presidents
THE DAVENPORT POPS ORCHESTRA
For updates and information, follow us on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook (@davenportpops) and visit our website at wwwdpops com
Special Thanks To Kito Covington
Davenport College
Timothy Dwight College
Head Anjelica Gonzalez
Dean Adam Ployd
Bryanna Kim
Shaffrona Phillip-Christie
Head Beth Dinkler
Dean Sarah Mahurin
Samantha Gambardella
Rashaun Durden
Brendan McGovern
Dean Kate Krier
Daisy Abreu
Aubrey Ellis
Kerry Cripe
Yale U.O.F.C.
Yale Undergraduate Production
Yale College Deanâs OFïŹce
Martin Jean
Brian Robinson
Yale School of Music
Clifton Massey
Stace Zhao
Arrow Zhang
David Michael
Concert Ringers
Benny Gruenbaum, Cello
Yuvin Kang, Bass
Sharif Hassen, Bassoon
Jack Landau, Bassoon
Eric Zhang, Contrabassoon
Jasmine Chen, French Horn
Tadao Tomokiyo, French Horn
Julian Kolthammer, French Horn
Lucas Haas, Trombone
Alumni Donors
Yeeee Chair
Kate Feinerman for 2nd to Last Viola
The Catto Chair
Georgia Smitts for First Piano
Queen of the Brass Section Chair
Anusha Manglik for the Person who likes Corgis the Most
Itâs Never Too Late Chair
Sayda Martinez-Alvarado for the person who ïŹrst joined at the latest point in their college career
Soloist by Default Chair
Danny Lee for the ïŹrst bassoonist
Backseat Driver Chair
Jeffery Yu for the last violin II
Brass Section Ah-OOH Chair
Bettina Cheung for a brass section leader
CS 323 Chair
Jim Zhou for the longest serving CS 323 ULA
The DPops Saviorâs Chair
Ryan Lim for the Head Video Editor
The Best Stand Partner Chair
Helen Zhou for the unexpected friend
DPops Board of Directors:
Presidents: Iris Liebman BR â27 & Amy Metrick SM â27
Conductor: Jeremy Ng TC â26
Assistant Conductors: Samson Wong MC â27 & David Wang GH â28
Head Arranger: John Owen Weber ES â26
Assistant Arrangers: Kira Tang TC â27 & Ro Malik MY â27
Director of Development: Lilia Potter-Schwartz MY â26
Treasurer: Lily Hyde TC â27
Publicity Chairs: Chris Shia SY â27 & Sophie HeitïŹeld BR â28
Social Committee Chairs: Mason Abrell DC â26 & John Owen Weber ES â26
Website Manager: Ro Malik MY â27
Davenport Liaison: Eric Xiong DC â28
AV Team Director: Julia Landres JE â28
AV Team: Jam Lian BK â28, Dylan Pu GH â29, Mina Chang DC â28
New Member Liaisons: Katie Hu ES â29, Eric Lee GH â29, Matthew Li ES â29, Ally Hu MC â29, Eleanor Kandoll PC â29, Dylan Pu GH â29, Neslo Atilla MC â29
Help support DPops! Donate online by visiting dpops.com and clicking âSupport Usâ
The Phantom of DâPopera
NOTES ON THE PROGRAM
The Phantom of the Opera
Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber
The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical), the longest-running show in Broadway history, ïŹrst premiered on Londonâs West End in 1986, and was brought to New York in 1988, and was introduced to the big screen with the 2004 ïŹlm featuring Gerard Butler (How to Train Your Dragon), and Emmy Rossum (Shameless). DPops has previously performed a 2017 arrangement (arr. Michael Wang, â17) in 2017 and in 2021, but now will bring Phantom to Woolsey Hall for the ïŹrst time, with this 2026 version of the arrangement. Based on a 1910 novel of the same name by Gaston Leroux, Phantom tells the story of the soprano singer Christine, her lover Raoul, and the tortured and masked musical genius dwelling beneath the Paris Opera Houseâthe Phantom of the Opera The Phantom is known to Christine only as the Angel of Music, a man secretly training her voice so that her fame can deliver his music to the world outside the Opera House. His training is successful, and Christine quickly rises to fame within the Opera House.
The Phantom, in love and obsessed with Christine, is mad with jealousy over her relationship with Raoul, and announces that he has written an opera entitled Don Juan Triumphant, demanding that Christine be cast as the lead actress While Raoul intends to take advantage of the showâs premiĂšre to trap the Phantom, the disïŹgured musical genius has other plans; on opening night, Christine notices that her Angel of Music has replaced the lead actor as they sing their duet, and removes his mask At the same time, the true lead actor is found strangulated backstage.
The Phantom, left with his disïŹgured face exposed to the audience, drags Christine to his subterranean quarters, where Raoul follows him, resulting in his capture by the Phantom. He then presents Christine with an ultimatum: either she marry him and he lets Raoul go free, or the Phantom will kill her lover In the end, she shows compassion which had been previously unknown to the Phantom, and he lets the pair go together.
This arrangement commences with the iconic grand organ solo which introduces the main theme from Phantom of the Opera, which is later joined by the full orchestra in all its grandeur (Overture). We turn to the softer Think of Me, the aria performed by Christine as she ïŹlls in for the lead actress She owes her success in her career to the Angel of Music, who has guided her singing and who has been secretly tutoring herâshe takes the Angel to be the spirit of her father, explaining the reverence with which she describes him in this tender number. The Phantom reveals his plans to Christine in Music
of the Night, a piece haunted by sinking strings and soaring winds; listen for key changes and dissonance to indicate the Phantomâs sinister side We lighten the mood with the bouncy Masquerade, which is suddenly interrupted by the main theme The Phantom of the Opera, symbolic of his omnipresence in the Opera House and in the broader musical. The iconic four-note chromatically descending chord continues to interrupt the arrangement as the Phantom loses control over those around him. Moving from the high brass to the full orchestra, trombones, tuba, french horn, and euphonium capture the insidious theme with chilling force. All I Ask of You and The Point of No Return are the ïŹnal pieces of the arrangement before the DPops original ïŹnale; the former represents a ïŹnal declaration of love and tenderness between Raoul and Christine, and the latter serves as the Phantomâs perceived victory lap, believing he has already won over Christine
We hope you enjoy the 2026 version of this arrangementânote the haunting main theme which is repeated throughout, the brass taking the charge on creating a bright and powerful color, while the winds and strings work in tandem to bring out the more tender moments of this musical theater staple. DPops is thrilled to bring the energy and spirit of this magniïŹcent score to Woolsey Hall!
Weber
Jurassic Park
Music by John Williams
Jurassic Park (1993), directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Michael Crichton and David Knopp, has spawned into one of the most popular ïŹlm franchises of all time. It is originally based off of the 1990 novel also written by Michael Crichton and tells the story of a theme park featuring de-extinct dinosaurs opened by industrialist John Hammond on the tropical island of Isla Nublar A group consisting of Hammond, paleontologist Alan Grant, paleobotanist Ellie Sattler, and chaoticist Ian Malcolm is sent to certify the parkâs safety after an (obvious) safety accident with a velociraptor. After an act of industrial sabotage by Hammondâs competitor deactivates the parkâs security measures and safety protocols, the group must struggle to survive against the dinosaurs that could now kill them with a single stomp
John Williamsâ score for Jurassic Park has become one of his most critically acclaimed and iconic soundtracks The iconic chorale/park theme, introduced by the violas and clarinets, is introduced when the visitors ïŹrst see the Brachiosaurus, and is simply titled âTheme from Jurassic Park â Another theme, "Journey to the Island,â is introduced by the trumpets with texture from the arpeggiating woodwinds. These two themes were arranged
Program notes by John O.
by Williams himself into the score you will now hear, which was then adapted to ïŹt DPopsâ orchestration
With our rendition, I hope you can sense the majesty of the park, feel the â awe â and âfascinationâ of looking at creatures brought back to life, and hear the stomping of the Tyrannosaurus and the soaring of the Velociraptor And with that, I say to you:
âWelcome to Jurassic Park â
Program notes by Jeremy Ng
Spirited Away
Music by Joe Hisaishi
Spirited Away (2001), a Japanese animated ïŹlm written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, has never failed to instill wonder in the eyes of many who grew up with it It became the ïŹrst hand-drawn, non-English-language animated ïŹlm to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and at one point was the highest grossing ïŹlm in Japanese history. It tells the story of a young girl named Chihiro "Sen" Ogino, who moves to a new neighborhood and accidentally stumbles into a world of kami. After her parents are turned into pigs, Chihiro resolves to free her parents and return to the physical world by working in the bathhouse of the sorceress that turned them, Yubaba Along the way, she meets Haku, the âdragon boyâ who helps her to try to leave the spirit world, and No-Face, a silent creature whose mask has become iconic for Studio Ghibli fans across the world.
Joe Hisaishiâs work on this score equally brings this fantastical worldâs magic to life The original ïŹlm score was written in collaboration with Miyazaki in a partnership that continues to this day. In 2018, he rearranged this score into the Spirited Away Suite, performed and debuted by the World Dream Orchestra in 2018.
This arrangement is an abridged, reordered, and reorchestrated version of the Suite, lightly inspired by another arrangement by the Hamamatsu Wind Symphony. It starts with âOne Summerâs Day,â a wistful piece that is one of Hisaishiâs most famous works in his oeuvre Join Chihiro as she becomes a part of Yubabaâs onsen as âSenâ and bathes spirits in âThe Godsâ and âView of the Morningâ Observe No-Face going on a gold-ïŹlled rampage in âThe Bottomless Pitâ and âNo-Face.â Picture Hakuâs graceful presence in âThe Dragon Boy,â hushing Chihiro to return to the riverbed before sunset. Finally, listen as Chihiro rescues her
parents and returns home in âChihiroâs Waltz/Reprise,â one of the most famous waltzes in any Studio Ghibli piece, and âThe Returnâ
This is now the fourth consecutive year that we â ve brought Joe Hisaishiâs music into Woolsey Hall The orchestra has consistently requested his music to be played, and I hope that this enthusiasm shines through in our rendition of the piece Per Hisaishiâs own words in the original Suite: âI would be very grateful if orchestras around the world would take the opportunity to perform this work and that the music will be heard by as many people as possible."
Donât Stop Me Now: A Queen Medley
Music by Freddie Mercury
Program notes by Jeremy Ng
Queen is perhaps one of the best-known pop-rock bands of all time, and this arrangement blends together two of their hits, Donât Stop Me Now (1978) and Killer Queen (1974), into a short-and-sweet medley Both of these tracks highlight Queenâs signature feel and trademark musical style: grand contrasts between delicate and high-energy passages, tightly harmonized choruses, and a constant driving momentum that never failed to draw audiences in. The arrangement begins with the slow ballad-esque intro of Donât Stop Me Now, accelerating into its verse and chorus with the jubilance that characterizes the song â s lyrics: âDonât stop me now / Iâm having such a good time / Iâm having a ballâ Then, a rhythmic bridge gives way to the laid-back swing of Killer Queen, building to a brass-dominated chorus before accelerating back into the iconic guitar solo of Donât Stop Me Now. The arrangement concludes just as it started, with a warm and pensive restatement of the opening melody that slowly but surely accelerates to an energetic ïŹnal note, capping off the medley with the energy that made Queenâs music so infectious for so many people We hope you too can be swept up in that joy during these few minutes, and feel the spirit that Freddie Mercury so simply states:
Donât stop me / â cause Iâm having a good time / donât want to stop at all!
Program notes by Ro Malik
How to Train Your Dragon
Music by John Powell
How to Train Your Dragon (2010, 2025 live-action), is perhaps one of the most well-known animated ïŹlms of our generation, with one of the most iconic soundtracks. Combining fantasy, coming-of-age, adventure, and reverence for the natural world, there are few people with whom this story does not resonate The movie tells the story of Hiccup, who is from the mythical Viking town of Berk Hiccup at ïŹrst wishes to help his father Stoick, the leader of Berk, in killing the dragons which are ubiquitous in Berk, and which have tormented their people for as long as anyone can remember However, after he successfully shoots a Night Fury, the most dangerous species of dragon any viking has known, Hiccup begins to question the only thing he has ever been certain about.
Hiccup secretly begins to train with the Night Fury, which he later names Toothless, and slowly discovers the softer side of dragons. Determined to learn more about these mysterious creatures, Hiccup mistakenly discovers something much more sinister: a hive which contains a dragon of mythical proportions (the Red Death) to whom the rest of the dragons bring food in order to be kept alive While Hiccupâs fondness for dragons leads him to see them as nuanced, misunderstood beasts alongside which his people could live, his father does not see his vision, and kidnaps Toothless so that he can ïŹnd the hive and eradicate the dragons once and for all. However, the ïŹght rather results in his understanding of the dragonsâ behavior, and leads to the defeat of the Red Death as well as the acceptance of dragons into Viking society
Our 2026 arrangement of How to Train Your Dragon is loosely based on a 2014 (edited 2018) version and a 2022 version of the same name (arr Haohang Xu â17; Gancz â22 et al , respectively) How to Train Your Dragon is a staple in pops orchestra repertoire, and is often a favorite among DPops members; it is our joy to bring this version to you in Woolsey Hall at our largest concert of the year, commemorating the ïŹlmâs revival in live-action form.
This version includes classic tracks such as This is Berk, See You Tomorrow, Test Drive, and Romantic Flight. At its core, this arrangement features frantic wind runs, dissonant brass drones, and agitated strings piercing through the rest of the orchestra, accentuating the conïŹict in the story However, it also puts DPopsâ melodic prowess in clear view, displaying tender violin solos (Romantic Flight), high winds which emulate the sound of bagpipes (Test Drive), and powerful horn and trombone lines which bring a certain majesty to the arrangement ïŹtting for a world as large as Berk. As musically fascinating as it is emotionally gripping, it is a pleasure to tell this story through yet another DPops arrangement
The encore of the arrangement, You Are My Homeward, was a new addition to the soundtrack added by John Powell for the live-action ïŹlm, and features a collaboration between DPops and one of Yaleâs A Capella groups for the ïŹrst time since 2017 We sincerely hope that audiences will enjoy the sounds of Berk, as played by DPops!
