Dazzling duets and fundraising feats at Sweet Serenade
The Samo choir students serenaded the audience on Saturday, Oct. 21 at their first concert of the school year. Apart from the showcase of talented singers at Samo, Sweet Serenade–fittingly–provided arrays of handmade dessert trays as well as an auction/raffle fundraiser.
Over an hour before the concert began, student musicians entertained the crowd during a “social hour”–a time for Samo musicians to perform songs that they put together seperate from their respective group choirs. The social hour aimed to provide time for the raffle and auction, which successfully raised $11,000 before the concert began.
Max Kehoe / The Samohi
From left to right: Celine Hutchinson (’25), Leah Boumel (’25), Adam Silverman (25) and Sam Rubin (’25) perform “Are You Gonna Be My Girl”.
“Hey Soul Sister” was a lovely duet performed by Juliett Rojas (’25) and Luca Lombardo (’24), their vocals complimented each other nicely. “Grenade” was sung by Callista Hurwitz (’26) and Shanti Phillips (’26) accompanied by Ms. Kisler. Phillips stood out as a future superstar to watch out for, and the duo truly captivated the audience with their amazing melodies.
Valentina Mancos’ (’24) performance of “Ordinary People” left audience members jaw-dropped. Her talent at such a young age was inspiring and more than impressive.
Celine Hutchinson (’25) sang a cover of “Are You Gonna Be My Girl” accompanied by Sam Rubin (’25) on bass, Adam Silverman (’25) on guitar, Govind Raman (’26) on drums and Leah Boumel (’25) on tambourine. The song they chose was yet another unforeseen positive twist to the concert, but Hutchinson’s vocals could make any song stand out. Rubin, who played bass and sang in the choir shared his personal takeaway from the concert.
“Participating in the Samo choir program is a lot of fun. Especially in high school, being surrounded by all these musicians and people who are interested in what I’m interested in…It definitely makes me feel like I’m in the right place,” Rubin said.
The choir sang on the discovery stairs, full ensemble pieces included songs such as “Life is a Highway” by Rascal Flatts, “The Middle” by Zed, Maren Morris, Grey and the finale piece: “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor. With beautiful harmonization and resonant voices, each piece led the audience on a mesmerizing journey. “I Will Survive” was by far the song of the night, getting a standing ovation from the crowd and ending the concert on a high note.
Mr. Huls, the devoted choir director is a huge part of why Sweet Serenade was so successful. Sadie Sills (’25) talks about how choir wouldn’t be the same without him.
“Choir is a large time requirement, but I love it because Mr. Huls is an amazing and talented director who makes all this happen. He is always very patient with us and I could not be more grateful for all of his hard work,” Sills said.
There were also multiple chorales singing in the concert. The smaller choirs consist of higher and beginner levels along with a student-led acapella group “The Valkyries”. The concert consisted of musicians from every grade level. The opportunity for younger singers and more experienced singers to learn and perform together is part of why the Samo music program is so strong. Morgane Auffret (’26) agrees.
“I think you’re a lot closer to the people in choir than other instruments because your voice is a really vulnerable part of you. When other people share that with you, and create music around you, it’s a lot. It’s very personal because it’s truly a part of you and not just an instrument,” Auffret said.