"liteDivine Comedy" is based onthe Dante Alighieri's literary classic of the same name. The story of
Dante's trilogy is very basic: oneday Dante finds himself lost in a dark wood. Virgil, a character based on
therevered Roman poet, appears andrescues him. Virgil guides Dante to a contemplation of Hell and
Purgatory. Dante, having confessed his faults, and with Beatrice as his guide, is led into Paradise and
attains a glimpse of the face of God.
I.
"The Inferno" is the firstof four movements in The Divine Comedy. Dante's vision of hell
consists of nine concentric circles divided into four categories of sins. Theprincipal theme
behind the literary work is the conceptof symbolicretribution. In other words, man's eternal
damnation in Hell is directly correlatedto the character and weight of his sin on earth.
Like Dante'sInferno, this movement is divided into four sections. The openingmelodic
statementin the oboe represents the sin of "incontinence". As Dante finished his relatively
shortjourney throughthis section of the Inferno, he is confronted with the Wall of Dis (The
Gate into Hell). The next section is structured around the sins of "violence" with its
incredibly intense storms and fiery sands. The crimes of "ordinary fraud" follow the violent
sinners. The composer used the sin of hypocrisy as visual imagery in the formation ofthis
section of the musical work. Dante describes the hypocrites as they file endlessly in a circle,
clothed in coats of lead which represent the weight of their hypocrisy on earth.
The final section of the Inferno features the sins of "treacherous fraud". As Dante enters this
circle of Hell, he hears the dreadful blast of a bugle. "Not even Roland's horn, which followed
on the sad defeat when Charlemagne had lost his holy army, was as dread as this." Dante and
Virgil are lowered into the last section of Hell by giants who are constantly pelted with bolts
of thunder. As their journey nears the end, they are confronted with the sight of Dis (Lucifer)
whose three mouths are eternally rending Judas, Brutus, and Cassius. Dante and Virgil climb
down the flanks of Lucifer, exiting to the other hemisphere, leaving the fiery world of "The
Inferno" behind.
II.
"Purgatorio" is the second of four movements in TheDivine Comedy. Dante, having
completed his journey through "The Inferno," is brought by Virgil to the shores of the island
mountain Purgatory in the midst of the southern ocean. The mountain is comprised of seven
terraces, each representing one of "seven deadly sins." In each terrace, sinners are given an
appropriate penance which is symbolically tied to their transgressions on earth. The
sufferings endured are accepted voluntarily by the spirits in atonement for their sins. The
composer has woven together musical elements which depict each of the sins of the seven
terraces. For example, the sin of the first terrace is "pride." The souls plod slowly around the
mountain, bowed double by huge rocks on their backs. As the composition develops, the
sounds of lamenting souls, dragging their heavy loads, can be heard against the haunting
melodic line.
The souls of Purgatory are often musical beings: they express their sensations in songs,
hymns, and psalms. Purgatory is the realm of hope, where the proud, envious, wrathful,
slothful, prodigal (avaricious), gluttonous, and lustful may atone for their sins on earth. As
Dante and Virgil continue up the mountain, they feel a violent quaking at which all of the
spirits proclaim "Gloria in excelsis Deo!" (Glory to God in the highest). Dante learns that the
quaking signals the completion of one soul's penance, for which all other souls give thanks.
The completion of the penance allows the soul to ascend to "Paradiso" (heaven), taking his or
her rightful position in relation to God.
III.
"The Ascension" is the third movement in The Divine Comedy. Themovement begins with
Dante on the Mountain of Purgatory. Having beeninstructed and purified in Purgatory, he is
prepared for hisjourneyto Paradise. Beatrice, his guide, liftsher eyestoward the sun.
Following her example, Dante looks to thesunand is at thatmoment transformed ("transhumanized") in preparation for his greatadventure. He is surprised to discover wonderful
music, the music of the spheres, surrounding them. Swifter than thought, theirflight of
incredible speed begins. Dante and Beatrice, accompanied bysounds of wondrous beauty and
intensity, ascend to the Sphere ofFire.
IV.
"Paradiso" isthe final movement inThe Divine Comedy. In this movement, the composer
was faced with the same basic problem which confronted Dante is his literary masterpiece.
What description ofheaven will have a universal appeal? The sensory experiences on which
Dante built his heaven were sights and sounds. The sights consisted ofbrilliant lights with
varied colors, symbolic formations, and combined with their hypnotic gyrations. The sounds
were those ofthe imagination, conjured by the reader's own past experiences with unheard
melodies "sweeter than those heard on earth." Itwas Dante's hope that scenes presented to
our imagination through the language ofpoetry may surpass the remembered scenes of our
own experiences.
In"Paradiso," Dante has ascended atan incredible speed from the top ofthe Mountain of
Purgatory to the first sphere ofthe heavens. He is enamored with the sight oflight, growing
brighter and more intense with each sphere ofhis journey. The composer has called upon the
mallet percussion to represent those beams oflight. Beginning with asingle tone (beam), the
intensity grows with each entrance until we are surrounded by lights ofmultiple colors and
complexities. As the light engulfs the listener, we are presented with the sounds ofjoy,
peace, love and hope...growing ever brighter as the journey though the spheres progresses.
As the listener arrives at the Empyrean (the region ofpure light), the "Music ofthe Spheres,"
first introduced in "The Ascension," isrestated in brilliant fashion by the brass section. The
light continues to intensify as the woodwind colors swirl around the brass figures. The sights
and sounds grow even brighter as Dante sees ariver oflight which is transformed into a great
rose at whose center isthe wonderful source ofthe lights. Upon the petals are seated the
saints, clad in the whitest ofrobes. Angels fly, like swarms ofbees, up from the heart ofthe
rose to thepetals, their faces of living flame, their wings ofgold, their bodies white as the
purest snow. Dante looks to the highest tier, where Mary sits enthroned, surrounded by a
thousand joyful angels. Mary is surrounded by heroines ofthe Old Testament: Eve, Rachel,
Sarah, Rebecca, Judith, and Ruth. On Mary's opposite side are the male figures ofthe
Christian era: John the Baptist, St. Francis, St. Benedict, and St. Augustine, as well as Adam,
Peter, Moses and Johnthe Apostle. The lower tiersof the rose are filled withthousands of
infants, purified in their glorious innocence.
With a gracious smile from the Virgin Mary, Dante ispermitted the Beatific Vision. He lifts
his eyes toward the heart ofthe rose. Within one blinding light, he recognized three separate
lights in the form of interlocking circles (asymbol ofthe Trinity). Within one circle he
perceived the dim image ofa human face, a reminder that God, through Christ, lived -and
still lives - as man on earth.
-Robert W. Smith
Senior Jazz Band
Senior Band
Directed by Miss Gayle Peryea
Directed by Miss Gayle Peryea
Woodchopper's Ball
arr. Peter Blair
Birdland
Zoot Suit Riot
The Divine Comedy
Robert W. Smith
I.
Zawinul/Sweeny
Perry/Sweeney
The Inferno
II. Purgatorio
III. The Ascension
IV. Paradiso
Soloists:
Select Chorus
Katelyn Legacy- Alto and Soprano Saxophones
Directed by Mr. David Scheiber
Up on the Roof/Wonderful World
John Peterson - Tympani
Lynn Leach - Flute
Goffin, King, Cooke/Leonard
Benjamin Trombley - Trumpet
Michelle Swanston - French Horn
Solos - Alexander Lamica, Kayla Trainer,
Chelsey Legacy - Flute
Allison Bruso and Brian Ashline
Unchained Melody
Zaret, North/Oill
Invitation
Senior Chorus
Dunbar, Larkin
Remember
Directed by Mr. David Scheiber
Chatman
Africa
Porcaro, Paich / Scheiber
Solo - John Peterson
Duet - Emma Allen and Stephanie Boyea
10th Grade General Music
Directed by Mr. David Scheiber
Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)
Seasons of Love
Armstrong
Solo - Joseph McGillicuddy
Larson/Emerson
Solos - Katelyn Lapan and Allison Bruso
Mr. Ralph Hastings - Piano
CSifuni Mungu
Maddux, McCall,
Mulongoy, Mukalay / Emerson
Thank you, parents, for fostering and supporting your
child's interest and love ofmusic.
Solos - John Peterson, Austin Pivetta,
Kayla Trainer, Katelyn Lapan
Mr. Ralph Hastings - Piano
Michael Boyea - Drums
Senior Chorus
Soprano
Alto
Tenor
Emma Allen
Megan Barnes
Whisper Bennett
Camisha Cromp
Stephen Bernier
Dakota Cooke-Paige
Alexis Beach
Courtney Boyea*
Stephanie Boyea
Alexander Lamica*
Danielle Cruz
John Peterson
Allison Bruso
Sarah Gardiner
Jessica Burl
Katasha Gilette
Marissa Poupore
Brandon Spinner
Catherine Decosse
Kristina Gilette
Brittany Drolette
Kristine Icamen
XuDu
Amanda Johnston
Kelly Favaro
Michaela Healey
Katelyn Lapan
Katelyn Magnan
Samantha Johnston
Michelle Jones
Nicole Lamica
Bass
Lynn Leach
Brian Ashline
Kristin Shattuck
Linda Noreault-Bessette
Casey Brown
Allison Soulier
Nicole Noreault-Bessette
Antonio Danussi
Samantha Tuper
Cassondra Whyte*
Meaghan Wood
Miranda O'Neill
Jason Lawrence
Mikaela Patnode
Benjamin Leach
Brianna Poirier
Austin Pivetta*
Amanda Woodward
Laura Stewart*
Benjamin Trombley*
Carolyn Stumpf
Daniel Wilcox*
Arianna Swanston
Ashlie Tice
Kayla Trainer
Hannah Trudell
Kelsey Wallace
Lindsay Warriner
Stephanie Whyte
Amanda Wilcox
Kierstin Zeldennist
* NYSSMA Solo Festival Participants
Please note these upcomingperformances:
Town Hall Concert - Friday, June 4 7:00pm
No. 9545
Select Chorus
Soprano
Alto
Tenor
Emma Allen
XuDu
Alexander Lamica
Stephanie Boyea
Katelyn Lapan
John Peterson
Allison Bruso
Laura Stewart
Daniel Wilcox
Cassondra Whyte
Kayla Trainer
Bass
Brian Ashline
BenjaminTrombley
10th Grade Guitar
Patrick Cook
Adam LaBier
Ryan Cox
Derrick Dupee
Erik Fleury
Marc Lambert
Rachael LaTour
Joshua Roulston
David Shute
Travis Gainer
JosephMcGillicuddy
Damian Thurston
Joshua Langlois
Kelly O'Connor
Devin Quick
Corey Richards