We apologize for the lack of presence on the MC Concert Choir blog recently – the first of the semester is always a busy time, especially for the Concert Choir. This entry is dedicated to catching you all up and filling you in on everything the ensemble has been busy doing these past few weeks!
At the beginning of the month, we began jumping right into new repertoire for the semester and our trip to Scotland. Mrs. Wilner introduced us to pieces that we immediately imagined singing in the cathedrals throughout the highlands and lowlands, such as Media Vita, Non Nobis, and the challenging My Flight for Heaven.
Throughout our rehearsals, we have had two incredible opportunities to sing some of our selections to professional musicians that travel the world sharing their talent and advice. Jacqueline Horner-Kwiatek came to us from Belfast, UK to fill in for our friend, Paul Phoenix. She is a prestigious artist who has been a part of the nationally-known ensemble, Anonymous 4, and now teaches at The Julliard School. Since she is such close friends with composer Michael McGlynn, we had her advise the Concert Choir on a few of his pieces we are singing. Ms. Jacqui also heard the Lassies and Off Kilter sing some Gaelic selections we have been preparing.
Exactly a week after Ms. Jacqui stopped by, the Concert Choir welcomed yet another guest to the recital hall for a masterclass. Cantus is a popular musical ensemble made up of eight men who travel to universities and local theaters to perform and provide musical expertise. Their time with the Concert Choir, Off Kilter, and the Lads was one to remember. We sang for them a couple pieces in return for them singing for us. The enthusiasm Cantus expressed for us and our sound led us to enthusiasm within ourselves.
We were pleased to find that the impact Cantus had on us was not too far from the impact we had on Cantus. Mrs. Wilner received numerous comments back from individual members of the group exclaiming their gratitude for having them come and be a part of our rehearsal process!
The Concert Choir is ever so grateful for Ms. Jacqueline Horner-Kwiatek and Cantus for visiting a providing us with a different perspective on how our music can be conveyed and performed.
Aside from the masterclasses with guest musicians, we have had a handful of our choir students undergo some exciting achievements. Our very own Lads has represented the choir well with numerous performances, including an impromptu jazz number with their director, Alan Eleazer, in his faculty recital last week and a spotlight performance for a Clayton Center production Tanasi 1796.
One of our seniors, Ms. Lizzie Ruch put on a fabulous senior recital on the 12th with a packed house and beautiful musical selections from her four years as a music education major.
And lastly, our lovely alumni, Mr. Jesse Neace and Ms. Paige Wroble, representing Maryville College and the Concert Choir well as they sang together in the pre-game performance of the Super Bowl 50 game. Definitely something we feel we should brag about!
Don’t forget to follow our Instagram account @mcconcertchoir and hashtag #singingscots2016! Below are some videos capturing our experiences with our guest musicians.
Maryville College Concert Choir 