The Women's Chorus Concert on Friday, February 21st was a year highlight for the ensemble. From their shaping of phrases to their crisp diction to their facial expressions, the group was unified and able to produce a committed and meaningful performance. The chorus's graduate teaching assistant, Allison Thorp, was poised and confident at the podium, as she carefully conducted the four pieces -- This Morning, Vier Gesänge für Frauenchor, Come In, and Hark, I Hear the Harps Eternal -- with a smile and enthusiasm that propelled the chorus to success.
The first piece, Gwyneth Walker's This Morning, was fun, bubbly, and humorous. An audible laughter could be heard throughout the church upon the piece's conclusion, proof that the ensemble's energy and voices captured the youthful spirit and joy of the song. The chromatic harmonies and syncopated rhythms were in tune and together. A definite crowd-pleaser, This Morning was an upbeat beginning to the concert.
Next on the program was the Brahms Vier Gesänge für Frauenchor, a challenging cycle that takes the audience through the journey of life, from youth to adulthood to old age and death. The two hornists and the harpist performed with elegance, and their contrasting timbres supported an atmosphere of deep intimacy mixed with dramatic grandeur. The opening movement was smooth and well-shaped, while the second movement was bouncy and playful. A lilting and Romantic spirit echoed throughout the church during the third movement, and the fourth movement brought about intense and somber emotions associated with themes of death. However, the performance could have benefitted from clearer expression of the German text, as the singer's diction often seemed rushed and uncertain, especially during the faster movements.
After the Brahms, the chorus sang Come In by Randall Thomson from his song cycle Frostiana, performed with a chamber orchestra of two violins, two cellos, a bass, and a solo flute. The swells and rich sound of the instruments propelled the Women's Chorus's to their best, their dynamic contrasts and expressive phrasing adding nuance and intention to the piece. While the singing was emotional and committed, it was the bird-like song of the flute that truly awarded the piece a sense of nostalgia and serenity.
Alice Parker's Hark, I Hear the Harps Eternal served as the final number of the concert, the folk arrangement sending the audience off with joyful fervor. The sopranos sang the melody with a pure, bright tone, and the mezzos and altos were percussive with their bouncy harmonic lines. The contrast between the sweeping melody and the rhythmic lower vocals filled the church with palpable energy made evident by the audiences' bright faces and thunderous applause.
The Women's Chorus Concert is a testament to the power of expressivity to inspire and move audiences. While the singing was technically imperfect and the articulation of the texts was not always clear, the choir's commitment to musicality and emotion made for an energetic and thought-provoking performance. The audience could sense the women's joy and love for singing through their voices and emotive faces. Anyone can learn to sing with precise pitch, in-time rhythm, and careful attention to markings, but the signature of a true artist is to sing with heart, as the Eastman School of Music and University of Rochester Women's Chorus did on Friday.
The first piece, Gwyneth Walker's This Morning, was fun, bubbly, and humorous. An audible laughter could be heard throughout the church upon the piece's conclusion, proof that the ensemble's energy and voices captured the youthful spirit and joy of the song. The chromatic harmonies and syncopated rhythms were in tune and together. A definite crowd-pleaser, This Morning was an upbeat beginning to the concert.
Next on the program was the Brahms Vier Gesänge für Frauenchor, a challenging cycle that takes the audience through the journey of life, from youth to adulthood to old age and death. The two hornists and the harpist performed with elegance, and their contrasting timbres supported an atmosphere of deep intimacy mixed with dramatic grandeur. The opening movement was smooth and well-shaped, while the second movement was bouncy and playful. A lilting and Romantic spirit echoed throughout the church during the third movement, and the fourth movement brought about intense and somber emotions associated with themes of death. However, the performance could have benefitted from clearer expression of the German text, as the singer's diction often seemed rushed and uncertain, especially during the faster movements.
After the Brahms, the chorus sang Come In by Randall Thomson from his song cycle Frostiana, performed with a chamber orchestra of two violins, two cellos, a bass, and a solo flute. The swells and rich sound of the instruments propelled the Women's Chorus's to their best, their dynamic contrasts and expressive phrasing adding nuance and intention to the piece. While the singing was emotional and committed, it was the bird-like song of the flute that truly awarded the piece a sense of nostalgia and serenity.
Alice Parker's Hark, I Hear the Harps Eternal served as the final number of the concert, the folk arrangement sending the audience off with joyful fervor. The sopranos sang the melody with a pure, bright tone, and the mezzos and altos were percussive with their bouncy harmonic lines. The contrast between the sweeping melody and the rhythmic lower vocals filled the church with palpable energy made evident by the audiences' bright faces and thunderous applause.
The Women's Chorus Concert is a testament to the power of expressivity to inspire and move audiences. While the singing was technically imperfect and the articulation of the texts was not always clear, the choir's commitment to musicality and emotion made for an energetic and thought-provoking performance. The audience could sense the women's joy and love for singing through their voices and emotive faces. Anyone can learn to sing with precise pitch, in-time rhythm, and careful attention to markings, but the signature of a true artist is to sing with heart, as the Eastman School of Music and University of Rochester Women's Chorus did on Friday.
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