As leaves begin to fall and pumpkin season begins, the Princeton High School choir, led by director Vincent Metallo and assistant director Sarah Pelletier, opened its Fall Concert on October 21st. As a PHS tradition, the fall concert each year is an operetta - a humorously themed opera with some of the words spoken rather than sung. An operetta is more interactive than a traditional choir concert is, as there is more decoration involved in the set design, and the singers are more accessible to the audience members.

The theme of the fall concert changes each year. Last year’s operetta was based on the works of Stephen Sondheim, an American composer and lyricist known for his stage works. This year, the concert theme was Portuguese Fado music. Fado can be traced back 250 years ago, where it was originally considered to be the music of taverns and brothels. Primarily focused on life at sea, the emotion conveyed through its melancholy lyrics made Fado a beloved art form.

“Fado is a genre about grief or broken hearts. It’s described as sort of like a wailing, and I think it’s a very beautiful form of song,” said Riya Menon ’23, a singer for PHS Choir.

As they prepare for their upcoming trip to Portugal, the choir students learned about their culture and significance through the rehearsals and practices. The choir directors also made sure the students learned about the significance of the show on Portuguese music and tradition. Choir teachers shared a presentation with the students about Fado’s origins, explaining that it was what sailors sang when they missed their homes and families. Not to mention, the choir students had to learn the lyrics along with an entirely new language and the pronunciation of the words.

“The language barrier was the hardest struggle,” said Ms. Pelletier.

“It’s more difficult to learn the music because you’re learning the notes as well as another language in such a short amount of time, but I like it because we get to learn something new and it’s cool to learn the pronunciation and sing in another language,” said Rowan Gilmore ’23.

Through the help of PHS nurse Margarida Cruz,who is Portuguese, and numerous language lessons, PHS choir students were able to perfect their pronunciation. This performance also gives students an opportunity to immerse themselves in a new culture in depth as the process of understanding the language with its nuances is especially time-consuming.

“I was excited to learn about a different culture and language, especially since it’s such a beautiful language,” Menon said.

“There’s a lot more syncopation in the music and different rhythms than traditional American music,” said PHS Choir student Jenna Stucky ’25.

Compared to last year’s show, which was outside in a tent, students were excited to get back up on stage and perform on a set. The vibrant set was designed by the PHS tech director Jeffrey van Velsor and 3D Studio Art teacher Bridget Schmidt.

“I like to take my 3D curriculum and bring it to life on stage. It’s a very different experience from creating art in the classroom individually, and I really enjoyed it,” shared Ms. Schmidt.

The set was made up of colorful clay tiles, often used to decorate Portuguese houses, as well as a beautiful arch doorway.

“We had to make 146 tiles and we were on a due date, so we ended up staying after school every day, but I like painting and working with clay, and I also liked hanging out with the people while working,” said Isabella Kolleeny ’24, a member of the tech crew.

The inspiration for the set design that tech director Mr. Van Velsor created was drawn from an underground flamenco bar that he had once visited. He was inspired by the communal nature of the performance, where a group of men would play the guitar as women danced around them on tables. The creativity of the set design was a defining aspect of the performance, and contributed to the excitement that was built up prior to the show.

“I’m excited not just for the music, but also for the set up. The students will be in costumes, and we are setting it up so it’s like you’re in a Fado club in Portugal. Just like they would have in a Fado club, we’re also going to have dancers and guitarists, and with a whole set, it’s going to be a whole theatrical production. I wanted to give that experience to the students who were onstage singing and the audience that was watching them,” said Ms. Pelletier.

The fall concert was done in preparation for the PHS Choir’s upcoming tour to Portugal in February, serving as the first primary source of funds for the trip, soon to be followed by Christmas caroling in December and the choir’s annual flower sale, where beautiful poinsettias and amaryllises will be sold.

“Attending [the concert] is a fun way to support PHS Choir and all of the hard work that we put in. I hope this show inspires people to continue attending our performances and supporting us,” said Gilmore.