In what has been referred to as the most ambitious project in secondary school arts history, the Choate Rosemary Hall Chamber Chorus and Symphony Orchestra are preparing to perform an arrangement of the Trance classic “Sandstorm”, composed by acclaimed Finnish electronic dance music composer Darude. Mr. Ventre, director of the orchestral program here at Choate, said that, upon hearing the piece for the first time, he knew that it was “totally cool” and that it would “swing like crazy.”

“The first time I heard this masterwork, I said, ‘Hello! We have to play this,’” Ventre told us. “The difficulty this might pose for the trumpets, saxes, and trombones rhythmically, though – I don’t even know if we’ll ever be able to perform it. If we do, however, it will blow the roof off the PMAC.”

Ms. Kegel, the director of the Chamber Chorus, emphasized the importance of bringing music from prominent contemporary composers to the school community. “Mr. Darude came from a background full of oppression, poverty, and unimaginable obstacles, all of which he surmounted in order to create such profoundly beautiful music, which connects us and enriches our lives,” said Ms. Kegel. ”If all the performers remember to hydrate, I think that this will be a deeply meaningful opportunity for the chorus to beam their altruism and generosity, shining the light of their deepest selves to the greater Choate population.”

During interviews with reporters, both directors expressed their excitement to perform a piece primarily in the key of F# Locrian, a mode which, they told us, “has been shamefully underutilized in recent years by the Choate music department as a whole.” In addition, the piece lasts only three minutes, a length which the two music directors believe will be more digestible to students, whose brains have already been “destroyed by technology” on account of their refusal to burn their cellphones. This contrasts sharply with the length of the previous collaboration between the two ensembles – the Vivaldi Gloria – which lasted a full 75 minutes.

At press time, Mr. Ventre confirmed to reporters that, while he was enthusiastic about the upcoming performance, it would pale in comparison to the piece planned for next year – for which he admitted he was still deciding between “Turn Down for What” and “The Harlem Shake.”