By EDDIE MIKUS
STAFF WRITER
The Fordham University Choir and University Women’s Choir conducted their annual fall concert on Oct. 27 at the University Church.
The choirs performed several different genres of music at the event, such as traditional church songs, an African-American spiritual song, the Irish song “Danny Boy” and the Fordham University alma mater.
Additionally, guest organist Anthony Rispo played a selection of music from the Harry Potter movies as a means to show off the Maior Dei Gloria organ that was installed in the University Church last year.
Choir members considered the event to be a rewarding experience.
“It means a lot, because performing in front of them, it shows all the hard work we’ve put into the concert and into the program,” Liz Stevenson, FCRH ’15, vice president of the University Choir, said. “There’s definitely a lot of difficult pieces that we’re working on, and to show people what we’ve accomplished, just since the beginning of the semester, is really cool.”
Stevenson described one piece the choir performed that did not strictly adhere to the standard separation of choir singers into soprano, alto, tenor and bass groups.
“We have a piece called ‘Ave Maria,’ but it’s not like the traditional ‘Ave Maria,’” Stevenson said. “It’s a different one. So there’s those four parts to the choir, but then this piece splits up further; there’s basically eight parts going on at once.”
Stevenson also spoke about the University Choir’s decision to conduct its segment of the performance from memory, which she described as a break from the traditional way the choir operates.
Referring to the choir’s director, Robert Minotti, Stevenson said “It’s a good challenge, because then you can focus on the music more and the dynamics and the different musicality techniques. Normally, we have our music in front of us, and in this concert Rob felt really confident in us.”
According to Stevenson, a language barrier presented a particular challenge in memorizing the lyrics.
“We’re doing a couple of pieces in different languages,” Stevenson said. “The Ave Maria’s in Latin, I believe, and then we’re doing another song that combines Latin and English. It’s hard, but it’s really interesting too, because then you are not buried in your music when you are on stage.”
Stevenson also spoke about the rehearsal process that her choir goes through to prepare for the concert.
“We rehearse once a week,” Stevenson said. “And then Lincoln Center rehearses once a week. And then we come together for some special rehearsals on Saturdays and stuff. And then there’s sectionals we have to attend, which is where each voice part practices on their own.”
Stevenson said that this concert will help the choir prepare for the Festival of Lessons and Carols, which serves as the choir’s Christmas concert and is a major event on its schedule.
