ALISSA SALEM
Special to The Leader
Last Sunday, as the sky was gray with clouds, Rosch Recital Hall was flooded with families and the indistinct murmur of warm voices, excited for the Annual Fall Choral Showcase. Students of the choir waved from the balcony to loved ones finding their way to their seats.
As the title of the performance suggests, this concert is a showcase of the pieces each choir has been working on so far this year.
“We have three choirs with repertoire chosen independently for each choir,” said Dr. Gerald Gray, director of choral activities. “There are 12 pieces on the program from a wide variety of style periods and composers.” It is also notable that this concert was chosen to be broadcast on a live-stream.
The seats in the hall are close to the stage, bringing a strong sense of engagement between the audience members and the performers. The ceilings, like many auditoriums and recital halls, are high, allowing the full sounds of the choirs to reverberate throughout the hall. The choirs performed on both the stands of the stage and the balcony. The lights dimmed and focused on the stage as the performance was about to begin.
The Fredonia Chamber Choir opened the concert with an a capella, textless performance of “Seven Sounds Unseen.” It was wordless, but captivating nonetheless, with its harmonies and sweeping intensities. It truly demonstrates the power of voice, which the conductor, Gray, describes as a “landscape of sounds.”
Their second piece, “Dover Beach Revisited,” had piano accompaniment from James Welch.
Despite the many different vocal parts in the piece, the choir had a very uniform sound. It also exhibited grand crescendos. Chamber Choir’s third piece was a year in the making — there was extensive planning involved, casting for the choir and orchestral accompaniment. “Singet dem Herrn, ein neues Lied,” displayed incredible energy from start to finish. It was a very lively and almost whimsical performance on the part of the entire choir and even the conductor. The choir followed his wild movements with ease; as soon as he let his arms drop, the crowd erupted with applause.
Women’s Choir was just as talented and energetic. Conducted by choral professor Dr. Vernon Huff with piano accompaniment by Jiaduan Zeng, the choir began with a selection from Samson. They followed up with “O Vos Omnes,” a calm and soothing a capella piece. Women’s Choir was able to achieve a sweet, almost haunting atmosphere.
The third piece, the well-known “Ave Maria,” seemed to fill the whole room with its sound and emotion. Women’s Choir had great breath control and exhibited such in each song, but particularly in this performance. Additionally, the song included a layered effect in the piece which left the audience in awe. Finally, it ended with “Mata Del Anima Sola,” in which soprano soloist, Katelyn Dietz, carried on a stunning solo throughout.
The Fredonia College Choir performed four pieces, the first of which was another variation of “Ave Maria,” Conducted again by the enthusiastic Gray, with piano accompaniment by the very talented I-Fei Chen-Markham. They also performed “Zigeunerleben,” “The Lamb” and “I’m Seventeen Come Sunday.” There was something special about watching them perform — they had a personified energy and emotion.
“The choir program here is so much more than I ever could have hoped to have been a part of,” said freshman Breanna Bryce. “I auditioned on a whim, and was told I had potential, which really got me excited and passionate about singing, and I’m looking to add vocal performance as a double major, since I’m currently an instrumentalist.”
Bryce went on to say that she thought the performance went “super well.”
“My fellow members of College Choir and I have improved so much and I think we showcased that well,” she continued.
When asked what inspires her to appreciate and perform music, Bryce responded. “I think that a true inspiration and passion for music is learned at a young age, but it is the foster[ing] and growth of it that creates a musician. I have been fortunate enough to have that, and this environment is absolutely perfect.”
The last piece was performed by all the choirs combined, conducted by student William Steadman. “Alleluia” was very powerful. The word “alleluia” itself has many different meanings, quite like how music means many different things to everyone.
When asked what inspires him and his students most to appreciate and perform music, Gray said, “great music, great singing and the joy that comes from sharing such musical experiences.”