Vashon Island Pops Concert 2011!

Everything's done: · the Concert · the Rehearsal · the Grammys! ·

Beyond the usual excellent performances by the Vashon High School and McMurray Middle School bands that mark the annual Vashon Island Pops Concerts, this year's concert was notable in that it headlined a performance of Grammy Award-winner Christopher Tin's "Baba Yetu" -- conducted by Christopher Tin himself. After a long collaboration between Vashon School District Band Director Ken Querhn and Christopher Tin, Mr Q wrote a non-choral arrangement of "Baba Yetu" and Christopher Tin agreed to travel up from Los Angeles to conduct the premier performance of this new arrangement.

Then, if that weren't enough, Mr Tin graciously agreed to bring one of his two Grammys along with him, and all the McMurray sixth, seventh and eigth grade band members who were at the morning's rehearsal had a chance to be photographed with Christopher Tin and his Grammy!

Christopher Tin turned out to be a very real, very warm human being who is clearly in love with his work, and who can communicate that love to middle- and high-school age musicians. As evidence of this, Christopher stayed after the performance and spoke to, gave autographs to, or took photos with every single student and parent who wanted to meet him. Not every Grammy winner would do this, I'd bet!

Go to the top

Vashon Island Pops Concert 2011: the Concert

· Before the Concert · McMurray 6th Grade Band · VHS Wind Ensemble · McMurray Symphonic Band ·
· "Baba Yetu" - Combined VHS and McMurray Bands · After the Concert ·

Even more so than the Rehearsal, the Concert clearly was not set up for the purpose of my taking photographs. This sounds obvious after the fact, but the reality of it for me at the moment was that I simply could not get into position to get good photos of many people. I did what I could, but if I've left someone out, it wasn't on purpose...