Women’s Choir Concert Brings Variety of Music from Jazz to Spiritual to Dingeldine Stage April 27

04/26/2012 5:33 PM

By Steven Johnson ’13

Bradley University’s Women’s Choir will perform a variety of songs Friday, April 27 at the Dingeldine Music Center. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. with Dr. Kerry Walters, associate professor of music, directing the choir.

“The students are very excited to sing in the concert,” Walters said. “They have been working diligently all semester for this event and actually previewed a few of the pieces on a shared concert in March with the BU Chorale and the 2012 BU High School Honor Choir.

The program will begin with two songs in English: a spiritual called “Hold Me, Rock Me” by Brian Tate and “I Am Not Yours,” a poem by American poet Sara Teasdale, set to music by David Childs. Three songs in Spanish and a performance based on a French Canadian folk song called “J’entends le Moulin,” or “I Hear the Mill-Wheel,” will follow.

Afterward, a small ensemble of 10 singers from the group Voce Femine will sing four pieces including “The Man I Love” by George Gershwin, “What’ll I Do” by Irving Berlin, “The Sound of Silence” by Paul Simon, and an arrangement of “Blackbird” by John Lennon and Paul McCartney.

Walters added it has been several years since the group performed with a jazz combo but that the students enjoyed working with the unfamiliar style.

“Learning to sing in a jazz style has been great fun for all involved,” she said. “We are all looking forward to the concert.”

Kim Rowell, a senior double majoring in Music and Dietetics, is excited to take the stage and perform.

“The women’s choir this semester is singing a vast variety of music and this time we will even be accompanied by the BU Jazz Combo on a couple of pieces,” said Rowell. “This is something totally different for our choir and has really stretched us as we have been diligently working on the music.”

Senior Erin Crossett, an organizational communication major, is looking forward as well to her final performance at Bradley, albeit with a tinge of sadness.

“We had the opportunity of working with the jazz trio here which was fun,” said Crossett. “I would say that I feel sad, really. Women’s choir has been such a wonderful experience in my time here at Bradley. I have had the opportunity to not only grow musically but also meet so many wonderful ladies.”