For a university choral program, the first fall concert is much like the season's first football game. There are pre-game jitters, some brain cramps and a lot of adrenalin. Meanwhile, choir "coaches" pace a bit, anxious to see if the upper-classmen can carry the load, waiting to see who will come through under in the clutch and how the game plan works.
That was the feeling, anyway, at the West Institute on Sunday evening for this annual Autumn Concert. And apart from some early-season timidity and an occasional miscue, the university "choir team" seems poised for a very successful season.Over the past few years, the repertoire of university choirs - much like the university curriculum itself - has gone toward "diversity." More languages come into play, more composers and styles. And the three directors here - John M. Cooksey, Lane Cheney and Edgar J. Thompson - have shown a willingness not only to stretch themselves but to push their people outward. On Sunday, for instance, numbers ranged from Pete Seeger's "The Bells of Rhymney" and folk tunes from Greece, Sweden in Thompson's A Cappella Choir to a piece from "The Pirates of Penzance" and a Latin "Ecce Virgo" by 16th century composer Cristobal de Morales from Cooksey's Chorale.
Cheney, who gets a wonderful lilt from his small women's choir, showed a lot of savvy in picking three numbers that suit the group perfectly, including Saint-Saens' lovely "Ave Maria."
The Chamber Choir, under Cooksey's direction, added a pair of 400-year-old numbers. (If I may be allowed to play favorites, the A Cappella Choir's "Ubi Caritas" and a Kings Singers jazz-chord version of "My Romance" by Richard Rodgers - arranged by Bernell W. Hales - were outstanding.)
Along with the diverse song selection, another dimension of modern choirs has been the addition of props and embellishments. Hand bells, some hand-held percussion instruments and a bit of choreography for the Gilbert and Sullivan piece kept interest up here.
The West Institute, not the finest hall for a concert, but certainly not the worst, served the Latin liturgical numbers well with its high ceilings and elongated shape adding resonance and depth. The audience does have to strain for a glimpse of the soloists, however.
All the accompanists on Sunday were superb, especially John Tarbet in the Swedish folk number. Soloists held their own.
As the year goes on, in fact, leaders in each choir will emerge who will help alleviate that "you go first" sensation that showed up in some of the men's sections at times.
For, despite the foray into other cultures, climes and eras, choir directors - and choir listeners - know it will always come down to fundamentals: pitch, projection, blending, emotional commitment, diction and the dozen other things that choir directors drill into their charges every day, in every rehearsal. And, given that, the U. choirs seem to be off and running toward another "technically sound" year.
In other words, these kids should put a lot of points on the board.