Bel Canto and Chorale 10.22.23

Bel Canto and Chorale

Fall Concert

October 22, 2024 McAfee Concert Hall, Belmont University

Dr. Lesley Mann and Dr. Jeffery Ames

Conductors Chris Smallwood

Pianist

Bel Canto: The Voice Speaks The voice is a complex combination of sound, identity, and communication.

We use it to cut or uplift, laugh, cry, celebrate, despair, praise, advocate, or support. One of the grand questions of the human experience is how we choose to use it. In this program, we’ll explore the unique phenomenon of the human voice, both its representation of self and its capacity to communicate prayer, despair, self, dreams, justice, and gratitude.

-Program Notes by Bella Marquez and Lesley Mann

Prayer Dona Nobis Pacem

Giulio Caccini (1546 - 1618), arr. James A Moore Tessa Dalton, violin

“Grant Us Peace.” We open with a prayer of supplication, for ourselves and the world. The piece begins quietly, raising our voices in a unison plea. The music evolves into a beautiful harmonic representation of communal prayer.

Itken Pois

Despair

Anna-Mari Kahara

Alisa Osborne, soloist Matthew Love, percussion Kendall Hoefler, Student Conductor Itken Pois is Finnish for “I Cry away.” It explores the notion that rather than holding in our sadness and despair, the best thing we can do is voice it. The song is big, it’s dynamic, it’s powerful, perhaps to show that so too is voicing our fears and concerns.

Self

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Elton John, Arr. Kerry Marsh Ella Beaubien and Mandy Richard, soloists A song about going back to one’s roots, this song utilizes the voice in order to perform one of its most important and valuable features: how to practice self-reflection. At times, one may glance back at the welltraveled yellow brick road and realize that perhaps that wasn’t the right path. Perhaps our future lies ‘beyond the yellow brick road.’

To Sit and Dream

Dreams

Rosephanye Powell

American poet, social activist, and leader during the Harlem Renaissance, Langston Hughes wrote this poem in the hopes of inspiring a dream of moving towards a reality where equity and equality reign.

Justice

Sing About It Moira Smiley Ailani Pedroza, Meg Zwiercan, and Rory Lundquist, Soloists Grace Camera, Rowan Clark, Bella Marquez, and Hartley Reynolds, Ensemble The recent and terrible explosion of violence between Israel and Palestine has illuminated for many in the United States a lack of their own understanding of nuance and history in the region. When terror strikes and leaves a hole of injustice and misunderstanding, the voice often falters. The answer for many musicians is to sing about it; we use our voices as a driving force and a way forward. “I’m gonna look up from my own concerns, reach across the chasm of what I never learned, step outside my echo chamber… gonna sing it when I feel like cryin, when I’m uncomfortable and don’t know why yet… when I am guilty of the laissez-faire, my ignorance of you is laid bare. Am I responsible, are you responsible? What are we responsible for?”

I Thank You God

Thanksgiving

Gwyneth Walker

Gratitude is not always easy to hold. Difficulty lies in both acknowledging our hardships while also being thankful for our blessings. Based on the poem by e. e. Cummings, this song allows us to lift our voices together in hope to communicate praised and gratitude for God, Nature, and the Universe, where the “leaping, greenly spirits of trees and a blue true dream of sky” are more vibrant than ever.

Belmont Bel Canto

Alexis Alvarez Hannah Auer Allyson Avayou Isabella Babson Julia Baddour Daniela Baker Gaby Barrientos Ella Beaubien Anna Belt Savannah Benson Sophie Brokke Lauren Brown Jessica Brucks Carly Bryant Claire Buchanan Tatianna Burns Elyse Butterman Grace Camera Abriella Camp Rowan Clark Gianna Codispoti Brielle Cotter Katie Cushman

Commerical Voice Commercial Voice Classical Voice Performance Commercial Voice Music with Musical Theatre Emphasis Commercial Voice Commercial Voice Commercial Voice Commercial Voice Music Education Commercial Voice Songwriting Songwriting Undeclared Music with an Outside Minor Undeclared Commercial Voice Commercial Voice Music Therapy Songwriting Commercial Voice Commercial Voice Commercial Voice

Tulsa, OK Seminole FL Lexington, SC Lansing, NY Dunkirk, MD Sacramento, CA Omaha, NE Barrington, IL Granville, OH Park Ridge, IL Thousand Oaks, CA Searcy, AR San Antonio, TX Romney, IN Paducah, KY Sandusky, OH Mansfield, TX Fairfield, CT Cherry Hill, NJ Fairfax, VA West Palm Beach, FL Queen Creek, AZ Wabasha, Minnesota

Isabella Dawkins Tasia Dillman Aubrey Dittman Katilin Donnelly Ava Doyle Becca Drake Anna Ek Abby Elliott Alyssa Emerick Laurel Fallis Abby France Mary Fredericksen Holyn Gaither Eva Gallander Lucy Goldberg Hope Gregory Emily Harrilal **Solar Heiser Bella Hilger **Kendall Hoefler Ally Holbrook Caroline Holmes Sophia Holston London Iken Ally Ivey **Robin King Hope Kobus Ashlyn Kolbert Maddie Lamb Mallory Leno Alayna Lepore Abbie Lukens Alissa Luna Natalie Mack Bella Marquez

Belmont Bel Canto cont’d Commercial Voice Commercial Voice Commercial Voice Commercial Voice Undeclared Commercial Voice Commercial Voice Worship Leadership Commercial Voice Commercial Voice Music Education Songwriting Music Therapy Songwriting Commercial Voice Film and TV Writing Music Technology Music Education Commercial Voice Music Education Classical Voice Music Education Art History Songwriting Undeclared Music Education Theatre Performance Music Therapy Music Therapy Music Therapy Music Therapy Music Therapy Undeclared Music Education Commercial Voice

Miami, FL Shelbyville, IN Hanover, PA Long Island, NY Nashville, TN Ashford, CT St. Paul, MN Apex, NC Irvine, CA Plympton, MA Downers Grove, IL St, Charles, IL Zionsville, IN Nacogdoches, TX Columbia, MO Louisville, KY Atlanta, GA Vernon Hills, IL Los Angeles, CA Allen, TX Laguna Beach, CA Plymouth, MA Gulf Breeze, FL St, Louis, MO Louisville, OH Monticello, IL Beachwood, NJ Clovis, California Kansas City, KS Arlington Heights, IL Aviston, IL West Chester, PA Freeport, FL Nantucket, MA Grayson, GA

Melanie Mauldin Keira Maupin Brooke Miller Sadie Miller Gillian Moody Eleanor Morrow Gretchen Morgan Emily Joy Moye Sara Murphy Mystique Niles Neely Norris Molly O’Hara Alisa Osborne Aubrey Page Katelynn Palloto Ailani Pedroza Abigail Phillips Becca Pinkston Rylei Porter Lauren Powell Caroline Raus Hartley Reynolds Gaby Richter Josephine Rutt Charlotte Scalzi Reagan Scholes Erin Schumacher Mia Sherer Abby Shields Grace Shuley Isabella Simonian Caroline Smith Emma Steinbruner Olivia Terpin Ellie Thompson Michal Tolman

Belmont Bel Canto cont’d Music Education Theatre and Drama Music with Music Theatre Emphasis Music Business & Accounting Music Business Commercial Voice Music Business Music Therapy Music Business Commercial Music Worsip Leadership Music Education Public Health and Music Music Therapy Commercial Voice Commercial Voice Music Therapy Classical Voice Music Business and Spanish Commercial Voice Music Education Commercial Voice Commercial Voice Commercial Voice Music Therapy Commercial Voice Commercial Voice Music Therapy Music Therapy Commercial Music Music Business Music Therapy Commercial Voice Commercial Voice Music with a Musical Theatre Emphasis Music Business

Solon, OH Minneapolis, MN Laurel, MD New Palestine, IN Louisville, KY Ft. Worth, TX Jacksonville, FL Fayetteville, GA Robbinsville, NC Caledonia, Michigan Athens, GA Kansas City, MO Nashville, TN Nashville, TN Gwinnett, Georiga Grayslake, IL Tulsa, OK Lees Summit, MO Honolulu, HI Tyler, TX Charleston, SC Gadsden, AL Nashville, TN Minneapolis, MN Virginia Beach, VA Franklin, TN Fountain Hills, AZ Hillsboro, IL Austin, TX Fort Thomas, KY Plano, TX Indianapolis, IN Colorado Springs, CO Clinton, NJ Charleston, South Carolina Glen Ellyn, IL

Belmont Bel Canto cont’d Jules Turknett Victoria Uribe Isabella Valentin Phoebe Vandeman Ally Wesner Domschke Madison Whitbeck Anna Wiggins Holly Wiper Emma Wise Kendall Yakshe Violet Young Reagan Zins Meghan Zwiercan

Commercial Voice Music Therapy Music Education Music Business Music Education Commercial Voice Music Education Commercial Voice Commercial Voice Commercial Voice Commercial Voice Music Therapy Undeclared

** Indicates Bel Canto Leadership

Roswell, GA Houston, TX Kaiserslautern, Germany Los Angeles, CA Elgin, IL Leesburg, VA Cookeville, TN Wheaton, IL Delta, CO Los Angeles, CA New York, New York Newport News, VA Philadelphia, PA

Chorale: The Waves of Struggle and Hope

This program explores the different aspects of struggle and how we work to overcome it. Whether it be reckoning with our interior shortcomings in the Kyrie or responding to a natural disaster as in I’ve Been in the Storm so Long, these pieces plumb the depths of human suffering. It is in these moments that we are reminded that there is a Balm in Gilead to comfort us, and that the forces around us may also assist us, as in Selene’s Boat. In between these two emotional waves is Rytmus, a song of jubilant praise in gratitude for the beautiful complications of life. We close out the program with We Shall Overcome, which serves as a reminder that we shall indeed overcome the adversities we face as we learn and grow together with those around us. ~Program notes by Chorale members: Bridgett Baker, Graham Hamby, Izzy Koehler, Quinn Martin, & Calista Morrison.

Kyrie from Lord Nelson Mass Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) Bridget Baker, soprano Sarah Tassin, Sarah Grapner, Kyle McCurley, Quinn Martin, quartet This mass was originally titled, Mass for Troubled Times and was written at a time of immense fear in Austria. Napoleon Bonaparte had defeated the Austrian army in four major battles that included crossing the Alps in 1797.

As the public mood was one of dismay, Haydn wrote an opening movement in D minor. When Haydn completed this mass in 1798, the British defeated Napoleon in the Battle of the Nile. Admiral Horation Nelson was the leader and he was later revered as the hero who saved Europe.

Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison. Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy.

Balm in Gilead

Negro Spiritual, Arr. Emanuelle Brunson Calista Morrison, soprano

This Spiritual was arranged by Chorale’s own Emanuelle Brunson. The song suggests turning to faith in times of struggle as a source of comfort for the mind, body, and spirit.

Rytmus

Ivan Hrušovský (1927-2001)

“Rytmus is the third movement of Hrušovský’s Three Etudes. The Latin text, “Ave Eva fons amoris, tu regina venustatis” translates to “Be greeted Eve, you source of love, you are the queen of nobleness.” The rhythmic intensity and quick pace of this piece creates an exciting contrast with the rest of the program.

I’ve Been in the Storm so Long Negro Spiritual, Arr. Jeffery Ames Sarah Hepler, mezzo soprano The text of this 19th century spiritual compared the suffering and hardship of slavery to a merciless storm. Dr. Ames arranged this piece as a response to the merciless storm of Hurricane Katrina. Despite the despair and cruelty of the storm, a glimmer of hope shines through the text “Give me little time to pray.”

Selene’s Boat

Don Macdonald (b. 1966) Sav Saffold, Amelia Bast, duet Matthew Love, marimba

“Selene’s Boat” was composed in 2016. The story follows a sailor named Selene who finds herself stranded. She asks the moon for assistance and guidance to find her way back home. Originally scored for choir and hapi, a modern relative of the hang - a pitched percussion instrument sometimes called the “hang drum,” Chorale’s rendition will feature improvisatory creativity by Matthew Love on Marimba. Using the human voice and percussion, Macdonald created a soundscape in “Selene’s Boat” through complex harmonies and repetitive motives to represent the intensity of the water and create a magical quality.

We Shall Overcome

Song of the Civil Rights Movement Arr. Robert T. Gibson Jaylah McMurtry, Javi Castro, Amari Miller, soloists

“We Shall Overcome” is a familiar song associated with the Civil Rights Movement that has been recognized and sung around the world. “Deep in my heart, I do believe we shall overcome someday.”

Belmont Chorale Alaylah Akins Bridget Baker Kate Barr Amelia Bast Olivia Bastin Mason Bates David Brackett Clay Bradford Tucker Bruinsma Emanuelle Brunson Avery Calvert Eli Carnes Javi Castro Joseph Colaneri Sam Cooper Jase Cortez Alexander Davidson Abbel Ferrell Emma Freel Sarah Grapner Grace Greenwood Graham Hamby *Sarah Hepler Brendan Herr Kendall Hoefler Daniel Holcomb Emily Ives Izzy Koehler Cameron Lewis Quinn Martin

Theatre and Performance Vocal Performance (MM) Commercial Voice Music with an Outside Minor Church Music Music Business (Production) Commercial Voice Music Education Commercial Voice Church Music (MM) Commercial Voice Video Production Classical Voice Performance Music Composition Music Business Commercial Voice Music Business Music Education Exercise Science Music Education Music Education Media Production Music Therapy Music Education Music Education Faith & Social Justice Music Education Classical Voice Performance Commercial Voice Music Education

Houston, TX Yardley, PA Geneva, IL Austin, TX Muscatine, IA Ft. Worth, TX Gulf Shores, AL Raleigh, NC Terre Haute, IN Montgomery, AL Birmingham, AL Indianapolis, IN Knoxville, TN Jackson, NJ Palm Beach Gardens, FL Austin, TX Waco, TX Topeka, KS Oxford, CT Johns Creek, GA Mobile, AL Waco, TX Oliver Springs, TN Crown Point, IN Allen, TX Belton, TX Falls Church, VA Columbus, OH Clinton, MS Omaha, NE

Belmont Chorale, cont’d Sage McAndrew +Kyle McCurley Finn McGinnis Jaylah McMurty *Amari Miller Catherine Moore Elijah Morman Calista Morrison Andrew Obringer Esther Okai-Tetteh Nic Olivo Abigail Orr Sam Piatt Skylar Peterson Austin Pritchett Nate Pylant Jessie Quadrini Davaja Rivers Stella Rockwitz Sav Saffold Aidan Schmidtke Sheldon Smith Georgianna Stern Bray Stratton Sarah Tassin +Reagon Tipton +Emma Rae Thurow Ella Tramontina Scott Vaughn Kyra Watson Nicole White Matthew Wilson Kathryn Witkowski

Music with an Outside Minor Classical Voice Performance & German Theatre and Performance Classical Voice Performance Classical Voice Performance Theatre and Performance Commercial Composition & Arranging Commercial Voice Architecture Commercial Voice Commercial Voice Classical Voice Performance Public Health Commercial Voice History Music Therapy Commercial Voice Creative & Entertainment Industries Commercial Voice Commercial Voice Music Therapy Commercial Voice Commercial Voice International Business Music Education Commercial Voice Public Advocacy Commercial Voice Audio Engineering Technology Vocal Performance (MM) Psychology Music Business & Songwriting Vocal Pedagogy (MM) + denotes 2023-2024 Chorale Scholar *denotes 2022-2023 Chorale Scholar

Manassas, VA Toccoa, GA Athens, GA St, Louis, MO Memphis, TN Charlotte, NC Lumberton, NJ Tiffin, OH Chattanooga, TN Nashville, TN Katy, TX Bowling Green, KY Waukesha, WI Wellington, FL Bossier City, LA Newnan, GA Indianapolis, IN Memphis, TN Alpharetta, GA Tampa, FL Omaha, NE Nashville, TN Indianapolis, IN Austin, TX Missouri City, TX Marietta, GA Stillman Valley, IL Pittsburgh, PA Haddonfield, NJ Coldwater, MS Louisville, KY Omaha, NE Gladwin, MI