Lawrence choirs host "Experience Weekend"
Kristina Ruff
Issue date: 3/6/09 Section: Arts & Entertainment
Ask any of the choir members about last weekend's concert, and they will tell you it was quite an experience. No, really. This past weekend, Lawrence hosted students from high schools across the country for its annual "Experience Weekend." These students joined Lawrence students to work with the acclaimed Yale music professor Simon Carrington in a combined concert with LU choirs.
The concert opened with the Viking Chorale singing "Deus Misereatur." Featuring four male soloists, the piece was beautiful and very moving. Cantala followed the Viking Chorale and opened with the popular favorite "Ave Maria." While this piece is always beautiful, Cantala's performance of it was especially fitting - they sang it divided on opposite sides of the chapel balcony, directed by Assistant Professor of Music Philip Swan in the back of the upper level.
To those seated on the floor - with the risk of sounding rather quixotic - they were the incarnation of angels on high. The rest of their pieces were more light-hearted, with the exception of "Choral Hymns" from the Rig Veda. This was an intense piece conveying the dark side of the sun, immortal fire and a funeral chant "converging in hope." Cantala closed their portion of the English-themed concert with this piece, a piece that, while rather uncharacteristically written by Gustav Holst, was translated by the erstwhile composer from the original Sanskrit.
The song was performed beautifully; it provided an intense and climactic ending to Cantala's performance, and their director, Swan, was "thrilled that the women could present such a variety of challenging choral repertoire ... with such excellent musicianship."
Following Cantala, Concert Choir opened with "Knowee." This piece was absolutely incredible. The four female soloists, who carried lanterns around the audience in the pitch-black chapel, were banshees in the night ... albeit perfectly tuned ones. The supporting music of the rest of the choir built throughout the song to reach a chord that, amazingly enough, sounded exactly like an organ. There were many audible whispers from the audience, some asking "When did the organ come in?" not realizing that the sound came from the choir.
The concert opened with the Viking Chorale singing "Deus Misereatur." Featuring four male soloists, the piece was beautiful and very moving. Cantala followed the Viking Chorale and opened with the popular favorite "Ave Maria." While this piece is always beautiful, Cantala's performance of it was especially fitting - they sang it divided on opposite sides of the chapel balcony, directed by Assistant Professor of Music Philip Swan in the back of the upper level.
To those seated on the floor - with the risk of sounding rather quixotic - they were the incarnation of angels on high. The rest of their pieces were more light-hearted, with the exception of "Choral Hymns" from the Rig Veda. This was an intense piece conveying the dark side of the sun, immortal fire and a funeral chant "converging in hope." Cantala closed their portion of the English-themed concert with this piece, a piece that, while rather uncharacteristically written by Gustav Holst, was translated by the erstwhile composer from the original Sanskrit.
The song was performed beautifully; it provided an intense and climactic ending to Cantala's performance, and their director, Swan, was "thrilled that the women could present such a variety of challenging choral repertoire ... with such excellent musicianship."
Following Cantala, Concert Choir opened with "Knowee." This piece was absolutely incredible. The four female soloists, who carried lanterns around the audience in the pitch-black chapel, were banshees in the night ... albeit perfectly tuned ones. The supporting music of the rest of the choir built throughout the song to reach a chord that, amazingly enough, sounded exactly like an organ. There were many audible whispers from the audience, some asking "When did the organ come in?" not realizing that the sound came from the choir.
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