University Singers, Chamber Singers, and Vocal Jazz to Present Winter Concert, Thursday
JONESBORO -- The Arkansas State University Singers, Chamber Singers, and Vocal Jazz/Contemporary A Cappella ensembles will present their Winter Concert Thursday, March 7, at 7:30 p.m. in Fowler Center Riceland Hall. This concert is free and open to the public.
The University Singers are divided into the Men’s and Women’s Choirs, and will be joined by two A-State Vocal Jazz/Contemporary A Cappella ensembles, Delta Vox and stAte Vox. The groups are made up of ASU students who auditioned for placement at the beginning of the semester.
Each of the choir ensembles may be taken for credit or non-credit and students are eligible to audition at the beginning of each fall and spring semester, regardless of major.
The Chamber Singers are selected by audition from the ASU Concert Choir membership and served as the Royal Court for last December’s Madrigal Feaste.
The Chamber Singers and University Singers Men’s and Women’s Choirs are conducted by Dr. Dale Miller, director of choral activities at A-State since 1997.
Dr. Kyle Chandler, music education coordinator and assistant director of choral activities since 2009, directs Delta Vox and stAte Vox. Collaborative pianists for the evening will include Chandler, RuJie Wang of China, a graduate student in music, and staff pianist Luca Strazzullo of Naples, Italy.
Two graduate students will share conducting duties. William Weaver, a student in the specialist in education program, will direct the Men’s Choir in his own arrangement of “Steal Away.”
Choral conducting major Shannon O’Connor will direct the Chamber Singers in selections from J. S. Bach MAGNIFICAT, and the Women’s Choir in two canons by W. A. Mozart plus Franz Schubert’s “The Linden Tree” in partial fulfillment of her graduate recital for the Master of Music in Performance-Conducting. Instrumentalists for the Bach will be: Strazzullo, harpsichord; Adonias Finch, piccolo trumpet; Erin Graham and Devin Morton, oboe; and Connor Gott, bassoon.
In addition to the Bach, the Chamber Singers will present three madrigals from David Maslanka’s manuscript, “The One and Only Book of Madrigals,” under Dr. Miller’s direction. Composed in 1972, these works have never been previously published or recorded. The Arkansas State group will present all seven madrigals in the set when Maslanka is in residence, April 22-26.
Miller also will conduct the Women’s Choir in the performance of “I Cannot Dance, O Lord,” by Stephen Paulus, and a female barbershop setting of “Get Happy,” arranged by Ann Minihane. The Men’s Choir will present three additional works, “Komm, Suesser Tod” by J. S. Bach, “Imitazione del Ventiano” by Orazio Vecchi, and a novelty barbershop tune, “Valentine Quandry” by Longrey, all under Miller’s direction.
Under Dr. Chandler’s artistic direction Delta Vox, which was formed in the spring 2010, will share their own rendition of Gloria Estefan & The Miami Sound Machine’s “Rhythm is Gonna Get You,” and the standard “I’ve Got the World on a String.” Created last fall, stAte Vox will present “Day Before Spring” and “Blue Skies.”
Donations will be accepted at the concert to benefit the ASU Choral Performance Fund to perform in Spain in 2014. While in Spain, the singers will travel to Barcelona, Valencia, and Madrid for cultural, musical, and historical enrichment.
“We are pleased to travel to Spain to present music of Spanish and American composers in collaboration with Spanish musicians, and study important art and archeology,” Miller said.
In addition to the current A-State Choir members, the University/Community Choir will again participate in the performance tour.
For more details about the concert or participating in the performance tour to Spain, interested individuals may call the ASU Choral Office at (870) 972-3841.
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