Spring Choral Concert

By Erin Semple
Staff Writer

Georgia College & State University’s spring choral concert will be held on April 14 at 6 p.m. It will feature the University Chorus, the Women’s Ensemble and the Max Noah Singers.
This program will contain a variety of works.
“I chose these pieces because they represent all different styles and all emotions and were catered to the difficulty level of each ensemble. Each group has some easy pieces, some medium ones and some challenging ones. Even though we’re ensembles, I have to keep in mind that we’re also classes, officially,” said Caroline Carson, director of these choirs. “I would describe them each individually according to their text, emotive content, line, length, phrasing and character. Some are funny, some are sad, and some are powerfully perceptive of the human race when it comes to things such as war, love or fun. The theme is sort of what the title is, ‘I Will Sing of Life.’ I chose this because spring, to many people, represents a new look at life and their own situations and feelings. Each piece represents a different walk of life.”
Carson said she is excited about the performance of the pieces selected for the concert.
“Three of the works, movements from ‘Dona Nobis Pacem,’ a cantata by Ralph Vaughan-Williams, are very moving in their descriptions of war and how it pervades our senses. The first movement asks for peace and is both calmly asking and violently demanding with huge chords in some parts and thin, soft choral textures in other places,” said Carson. “The next movement, known as ‘Beat! Beat! Drums!’ describes how the drums of war are so pervasive that they enter into every aspect of our lives, from the solemn church to the school where the scholar is studying, to the traffic of cities, to those who try to sleep. It also points out how war doesn’t stop for those who are timid, those who weep or pray or for the old man or the young man.”
“The next movement is a picture called ‘Dirge for two veterans.’ It sings of a grave scene and a sad procession under the silvery moon. The singer ‘hears the sound of coming full-keyed bugles’ and is entranced by the death march. The moon becomes a mother-like face, which acts to soothe the watcher as the death march continues,” said Carson. “It is full of march-like singing and also some smooth, ethereal singing about the moon above. Very moving. ‘Simple Gifts’ and ‘Zion’s Walls’ by Aaron Copland and ‘Amazing Grace’ arranged by Stephen Hatfield are pieces most people will recognize. They have open chords, folk-like melodies and are a part of our heritage.”
Carson said she hopes the audience will enjoy these pieces.
“I’d like the audience to have a wonderful, relaxing, moving experience that will take them away from their daily lives for a while, and I hope they enjoy it. I hope they like choral music enough to come and bring everyone they know! I hope they know that the students worked hard to present the program to them too,” said Carson. “I’m very excited about the performance and have thoroughly enjoyed working toward it! I sincerely hope that the concertgoers will enjoy the sampling of choral styles and sounds we bring to them!”
Maria Hultstrom, a member of the Women’s Ensemble, is looking forward to this concert.
“It’s going to be fun to perform our songs, which are very diverse. They are written in different styles and languages. We are singing in Swahili and Latin. We have been practicing all semester, and I am really excited about the concert. It’s always fun to perform,” said Hultstrom.
For more information, contact the Music Department at 445-4226.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Apr 5 2002. Filed under Features. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry