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Lower School Students Star in Original Musical |
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 Music Coordinator Murray Savar’s original musical “The Miserable Muse” came to life as all 213 Lower School students took the the stage during their annual Winter Concert on Tuesday, December 13.
Throughout his 35 years as a teacher at The Agnes Irwin School, Savar has written many musicals, plays and adaptations. This year, he was determined to compose a completely new, inventive and challenging work for his talented students. After a summer break full of brainstorming, the idea for “The Miserable Muse” took root in his imagination.
“The story was in basic form by the start of school in September,” said Savar. “I read it to some of the students to see if it made sense to them and if it would hold their attention as a possible performance piece. Once the story was set, the music literally poured out! We began rehearsing in early November. The girls truly took ownership of the production almost immediately. Each student understood and felt integral to the entire process.”
The musical’s plot weaves familiar characters from ancient Greek mythology into a contemporary scenario. To add his own twist, Savar created a new protagonist to interact with the traditional nine muses who inspire the development of literature and the arts. Malaphonia, the miserable tenth muse of noise and cacophony, begins the show as she makes an uninvited appearance at the annual Meeting of the Muses. Worried that she will ruin their joyous event with her terrible mood, the other muses help her to transform into Choralia, the delightful muse of children’s singing!
“One of the most gratifying rewards is hearing the students sing the songs that they learned in music class when they are not in the music room! The melodies have become a part of them - while they are sitting and humming songs at their desks or when others join in and homeroom turns into a chorus. After yesterday’s performance and today, one could hear the songs echoing throughout the halls of the Lower School. A third grader even lamented the fact that she woke up in the middle of the night with lyrics from ‘The Miserable Muse’ spinning in her head!”
Savar’s dedication and creativity continue to impact Agnes Irwin students in remarkable ways. On the evening of Monday, December 12, he directed the largest Upper School Choir in the school’s history at their Winter Concert. The performance also featured the Bel Cantos a cappella group, the Middle School Choir and several holiday songs. The concert concluded as the entire audience joined in the singing of a community favorite, “Bring me a Rose” by Ernie Sheldon.
If you missed Tuesday’s debut of “The Miserable Muse,” you can catch an encore performance on Thursday, December 15 at 1:30 p.m. in the Laura Thomas Buck ’49 Pavilion.
Also, please support the Upper School Choir today (Wednesday, December 14) by voting for them in the semi-final round of the B101 Christmas Choir Competition. Listen for their rendition of "Walking in the Air," which will be played throughout the day on WBEB-FM Radio B101.1. To vote for the choir, simply click this link to be directed to the voting website. Votes must be submitted before 9 p.m. tonight. The first place prize is an award of $5000 and the opportunity to perform with Peter Nero and the Philly Pops! |
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