McCallie’s Guitar Quartet and Senior Musicians Shine in Whirlwind Finale

As Whirlwind 2025 was about to begin Sunday evening in the Chapel, the Guitar Quartet took the stage with its teacher, Michael McCallie, making a rare appearance with the group.

As the senior trio of Sid Cheemakoti, Colin Sanders, and Walker White—students who had been with McCallie for six years—prepared to play the intricate and exquisite "Twangology," along with rising junior Quartet member Nathan Campbell, McCallie told the group, "I love you guys."

Sanders said afterward, "It gave me goosebumps. Definitely a bittersweet moment."

In a way, much of Whirlwind was bittersweet for both the teachers and students. Twenty-six were seniors performing in their final event after many years of musical performances spanning Whirlwind, Candlelight, and various recitals.

Recalling how GPS senior Gweneth Parks, this year's May Queen, had been with him since seventh grade as a flutist, orchestra head Brent Alverson said of this year's John Phillips Sousa Award winner—her brother Connor won it two years ago—"That is such a huge honor. Gweneth has always had such a can-do attitude. She is 100 percent all-in. I will miss her, but I will miss many of these seniors. Such a talented group. And so dedicated. We had rowers and Ultimate Frisbee players who competed in those sports today, but also performed in Whirlwind. That is special. But we will have another senior class next year, and they will be special, too."

Parks added, "This is a great way to wind up my time at GPS."

For Whirlwind, it was a great way to wrap up McCallie's musical calendar. More than 30 minutes before the show began, the chapel parking lot was overflowing. The chapel was filled as it had not been for two or three years. Loud applause broke out for almost every performance, of which there were 19 in total.

Choral director James Harr said, "I am usually on edge before these shows. But I was in a peaceful place before tonight. I knew it would be a great show, and it was. I told my guys, 'Just have fun,' and I think they did."

For McCallie, it has been a mostly fun ride with the Guitar Quartet, which has won national awards, played for some of the biggest classical guitar names in the country, and highlighted every McCallie musical show.

Still, they are teenage boys, and as he joked on stage last night, "They are individually responsible for a portion of my hair coming out."

But he also told them via a Rick Astley song video, "I am never going to give you up."

That general sentiment runs through Alverson, Harr, McCallie, and orchestra director Nichole Pitts. These talented seniors will leave a legacy tough to top.

But as the Quartet's Sanders sagely said at the close of Whirlwind: "The music never ends."

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Watch the Whirlwind 2025 performance.

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