Choral Ensembles at Montclair State Give Students Something to Sing About
Posted in: Cali School of Music News
The 2015-2016 academic year has been a glorious time for students and faculty who are active in the choral program at Montclair State. The curricular ensembles, Chorale (symphonic choir) and University Singers, have a year-round performance schedule and welcome students from any college on campus to audition and join. The extracurricular choirs Vocal Accord and Prima Voce perform for special projects and collaborations. All of the MSU choirs offer students the tremendous opportunity to express their creative abilities and showcase their talents at numerous events and performances presented on campus in the Alexander Kasser Theater and at a range of off-campus venues.
This year’s annual Beatrice Crawford Memorial Concert, which took place on December 6, 2015, honored the Montclair musician Beatrice Crawford who directed two local choral groups. The recurring concert captured the mission and spirit of the Montclair State University Chorale, the core-mixed voice choir of 165 voices which specializes in performing symphonic masterworks. In the 2015 Crawford Concert, students performed the tri-state premiere of Alzheimer Stories composed by NJ resident Robert Cohen, with libretto by Grammy-award winning lyricist Herschel Garfein. Alzheimer’s Stories is an uplifting work that acknowledges the devastating effects of the disease and focuses on the hope and strength of the human spirit.
Dr. Heather J. Buchanan, Professor of Music and the Director of Choral Activities on campus, understood the performance would be a challenge for students but also believed it would encourage them “to provide service through music via our community outreach efforts and work with material that would heighten awareness about a critical social issue.” Students also collected donations to further the research efforts of the Alzheimer’s Association, and wore special purple t-shirts for the open dress rehearsal/recording to promote Alzheimer’s awareness.
Sophomore Emily Schladebeck who lost her father to early-onset of Alzheimer’s disease, was a central figure in helping her fellow choir members in the creative process by sharing her story. “I wanted to serve as inspiration for them, and show that the it’s real. It happens. It can affect anybody,” shared Schladebeck about her experience in a Montclair Times article which provided compelling insight about the poignant concert event.
In a continued effort to connect with communities beyond campus, the University Singers, MSU’s 65-voice elective choir, has performed with other choirs throughout the state. This past November, they performed at Sing Out!, the Essex County Choral Festival, along with three other choirs from the county.
Since 2014, the University Singers has also performed Handel’s Messiah, a holiday favorite, maintaining a fruitful collaboration with the eminent New Jersey Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Jacques Lacombe. The performances at Richardson Auditorium in Princeton and NJPAC in Newark received critical acclaim, and the choir will perform Messiah again in the NJSO’s 2016-17 subscription series.
Sophomore music education (voice) major Evan Fleming was an integral part of the Dec 16, 2015 performance in Princeton, as a member of the baritone section: “Singing Messiah in both my freshman and sophomore years at Montclair State allowed me to not only gain an understanding of the incredibly high caliber at which our choral program operates, but also to solidify my vocal technique as both a solo and ensemble singer,” describes Fleming of his experience. “It is not often that students are given the opportunity to perform with professional orchestras—like our many collaborations with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra—so I am forever grateful to Dr. Buchanan for providing such experiences from my very first semester here,” adds Fleming.
Another unique collaboration with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey involved Montclair State students and alumni in an exceptional way, offering them unique occasions to perform with distinguished professional artists. The 46 members of Prima Voce, one of MSU’s extracurricular project choirs, prepared their parts over the summer and then came together in rehearsals during the fall to brings Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream to life. A feature of the NJSO’s 2016 Winter Festival, it was performed in January 2016 for a three-night run at venues throughout the state (Princeton, Newark and New Brunswick).
“We loved the experience of the live play with orchestra and choir, where five of the Prima Voce singers were fairy soloists in the Shakespearean comedy. This was an historic first for the group as part of a professional orchestral debut for our soloists,” describes Dr. Buchanan who directs the choirs.
Victoria Joel was one of the students who debuted as a soloist and shared that “the experience was a glimpse into the professional music world, that I will hopefully be apart of. It was an added bonus to receive a positive review of our performance. The added benefit was having my friends and colleagues on stage with me to share in the magic.”
“I’ve been very lucky to participate,” states Senior Voice Performance major Morgan Taylor who also sang in Prima Voce and is also the alto section leader in University Singers this year. the concert series. “This performance gave the members of Montclair State’s Prima Voce an opportunity to not only sing, but also take part in some acting along with the supremely talented actors from The Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey. This was an extremely successful, fun, and amazing musical experience to be apart of.”
The upcoming spring 2016 choral events will feature a diverse array of musical styles. The University Singers will perform the world premiere of This World is Not Conclusion by graduate composition major Kevin Cummines, the winning score in the 2015-2016 Cali Choral Composition Competition, at their spring concerts April 17 and 23. The April 17 performance at Our Lady of Sorrows in South Orange will be the World Premiere performance.
Zachary Delcamp, a first-year graduate Voice Performance student, will also be performing the solo in Leonard Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms as part of the 50th anniversary of the piece’s creation. “It’s an incredible message to the audience in a relatively short amount of time, running approximately 20 minutes. I fell in love with it during my studies as an undergraduate and am thrilled to revisit it with a new group of talented musicians under the direction of Dr. Buchanan,” states Delcamp of his study and practice of Bernstein’s moving and inspirational work.
The Chichester Psalms is the masterwork feature of the University Singers’ spring concert performances and can be heard at all of their concerts: April 9, at the Trinity & St. Philip’s Cathedral in Newark (7:30 p.m.), April 17 performance at Our Lady of Sorrows in South Orange (4:00 p.m. and April 23 at the Alexander Kasser Theater, 8:00 p.m.).
This semester the Chorale numbers 183 voices and the spring concerts, titled Celebration & Consolation, will feature them performing the sublime Duruflé Requiem, with organ & chamber orchestra accompaniment. The guest artists are alumna Lisa Andreacchi mezzo-soprano, graduate voice performance major Michael J. Alworth baritone, Merynda Adams harp, Vincent Carr organ, alumnus Taylor Goodson percussion. Student trumpets and strings will also be joined by professional string players. The Duruflé Requiem is a magnificent work and the opportunity to perform in the glorious acoustic of Our Lady of Sorrows is very special.
In the final event of the season, the University Singers and Chorale will reprise this program of distinctive music and song at the Alexander Kasser Theatre, on April 23, at 8:00pm, culminating the student singers’ year-long study and dedication to the vocal arts. The student members of ACDA will give an interesting pre-concert presentation in Kasser Theater 104 from 7 – 7:30 pm. This will be a wonderful opportunity to discover insights about the music featured in Celebration & Consolation from the students’ perspectives.
Read more about the choral activities at Montclair State and see videos of performances here.
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