On April 24, all three choral groups performed at the Spring Choral Concert in the St. Charles Borromeo Convocation Hall. The three groups performing at the concert included Chamber Choir, the jazz group “Altitude” and the acapella group “Harmonic Uprising.” The concert was an hour long event that signified the end of the semester.
Every year, Chamber Choir usually performs two concerts in the fall semester and only one concert during the spring semester.
“So during the spring semester, Chamber Choir usually only has one concert,” said choir director Jeremy Landig. “We do two in the first semester and usually one in the second semester.”
Chamber Choir performed 10 songs, the jazz group “Altitude” performed two songs and the acapella group “Harmonic Uprising” performed two songs. One of the songs that “Harmonic Uprising” sung is an 80s Canadian pop song titled “Rise Up”.
“We sung about 10 songs and then the jazz group, “Altitude”, sung two songs as well,” said Landig. “We had a couple of acapella songs and then, the student-led vocal group ‘Harmonic Uprising’ also sung two songs.”
The concert featured a variety of different genres of music. From pop to secular to everything in between, there was something for everyone to enjoy.
“[We] did everything from Renaissance to pop and everything in between,” said Landig.
At the beginning of the concert, “Harmonic Uprising” performed “Don’t Stop Me Now” and “Mad World”.
After “Harmonic Uprising” performed, Chamber Choir performed four songs including “I Will Be Earth” by Gwyneth Walker and “Oculus Non Vidit” by Rihards Dubras, which translates to ‘eyes have not seen’.
Chamber Choir has a total of 19 students and is divided into four sections: soprano, alto, tenor and bass. It has six sopranos, four altos, four tenors and five bass singers.
“Altitude” has a total of 10 students and “Harmonic Uprising” has 13 students. All three musical groups have been rehearsing since the beginning of the semester; Chamber Choir rehearsed Monday and Wednesday afternoons.
Students were encouraged to come to the concert because besides earning Arts & Ideas credit, the music being performed by their fellow students will appeal to a wide audience. If students weren’t able to attend, it was live streamed through the Arts & Ideas website.
“Hopefully, there were as many as possible so that we can share music on campus with everyone,” said Landig. “It appealed to a really wide audience and there was really something for everybody.”
When this concert happens each spring, they often have an overarching theme. This year’s theme was ‘rise up and conquer’, where someone starts from a place of struggle and they eventually rise up and conquer the world.
“This is what I would call it, if I could give the concert a loose theme,” said Landig. “Those songs start from a place of maybe somebody who is having a lot of trouble, a lot of problems in their life and how they start from that place and then rise up to fight the things that are troubling them.”
Anyone is welcome to try out for these choral groups, whether or not they’ve had the experience to be a part of something like this. Interested parties should contact Landig for more information.
“The choir is always looking for people who are interested in joining each semester,” said Landig. “Often we get all the way through the school year, and there are still people that are interested in singing but surprised to learn that we have a choir.”
For those who missed the event, the concert is still available to view online and it can be accessed through the Music Department page.
Photo Credits: Katelyn Leano
Graphic Credits: Alexis Pragides
