Poignant Performance Highlights Remembrance Day Assembly

“I always look for music that honours the event, that is accessible artistically, but that’s also very satisfying.” Dr. Sandra Boyes, Head of Crescent’s Lower School and leader of the divisional choirs, spoke recently about the process of selecting, rehearsing and recording the song “I Believe.” The recorded performance was a highlight of the school’s Remembrance Day assembly. The project was directed by Dr. Boyes and Lower School music teacher Jonathan Heffernan with performances from students in all three divisions of the school. Close to 150 people participated in this special project

The song’s exact origins are unknown, but its universal themes and emotions have kept it circulating for decades. It opens with the lines, “I believe in the sun/even when it is not shining/ I believe in love/even when there’s no one there.” Dr. Boyes shares that Crescent’s students, particularly the youngest, appreciated being trusted with this song’s serious and sometimes philosophical subject matter. “They approached it with reverence.” 

The song was performed in a four-part harmony, weaving the different choirs’ voices together. They spent weeks rehearsing the performance, carefully adhering to health and safety protocols. It was the first time in a year and a half that the choirs had been able to sing in the school due to the pandemic, and the messages of perseverance and hope were not lost on any who heard it.

Click here to view a recording of "I Believe," performed by Crescent students and arranged by Dr. Boyes and Mr. Heffernan.