Vocal Extravaganza!
About the event
The Voice/Choral Area in the School of Music will present its 32th annual Vocal Extravaganza on Friday, November 3 at 8pm in Bryan Hall Theatre on the Pullman campus as part of the celebration of Dad’s Weekend events. This vocal showcase of the five choral ensembles in the School will feature short performances by the Madrigal Singers and Concert Choir, conducted by Dr. Lori Wiest, Tenor/Bass Choir and Treble Choir, conducted by Dr. Dean Luethi, and Opera Workshop, directed by Dr. Julie Anne Wieck.
This performance includes many styles of vocal music and is family-friendly. You will certainly hear music that you can deem as “your favorite.” A bake sale with delicious treats will take place during intermission adding to this festive occasion; it will be a treat for your eyes, ears, and taste buds!
Tickets for the event will be available at Bryan Hall beginning at 7:00 p.m. on the night of the performance.
Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for senior citizens and students with ID, and free for children 12 and under.
All proceeds go directly to the student ensembles for music, performances/productions, and tours.
| Madrigal/Chamber Singers, conducted by Dr. Lori Wiest, will open the evening’s performance with English Renaissance madrigals that portray the various emotions one experiences within relationships: light, playful, teasing, joyful, painful and sorrowful. Select works include “Hark, All Ye Lovely Saints” by Thomas Weelkes, “Ah, Dear Heart” by Orlando Gibbons, “A Little Pretty Bonny Lass” by John Farmer, “Weep, O Mine Eyes” by John Bennet, and “Quick, Quick, Away, Dispatch!” by Michael East.
The WSU Treble Choir’s program revolves around the theme of dance. They begin their portion of the program with a call to dance with the Huron dance song Innoria arranged by Donald Patriquin. They continue this call with Jacob Jež’s arrangement of the Slovenian folk song Igraj Kolce. No program of dance would be complete without a little exhibition of how body movement/percussion and music can play a collaborative role. The WSU Treble Choir will finish their program with Moira Smiley’s arrangement of Lead Belly’s blues song Bring Me Little Water Silvy and the defiant French song La Maumarieé arranged by Joni Jensen. The WSU Tenor/Bass Choir’s program tells the story of two lovers. The two first meet and he describes her eternal beauty in the Taiwanese aboriginal tune Gao Shan Qing arranged by Reed Criddle. After they begin their courtship he must leave her for a while. He describes his trials and longing in Canadian folk song Frobisher Bay written by James Gordon and arranged by Diane Loomer and in Miles Ramsay’s arrangement of the traditional The Water Is Wide. After finally reuniting, they marry. He exhibits his dancing prowess (or lack thereof) at their wedding with the Estonian dancing song Tantsulaul by Veljo Tormis. Tenor/Bass Choir and Treble Choir are conducted by Dr. Dean Luethi.
The music of 20th Century American composer, Seymour Barab, will be featured in the Opera Workshop performance. Although he composed art songs and instrumental works, he is most known for his operas, composing 4 full length and 38 one-act operas before his death in 2014. Opera Workshop will be performing scenes from two one-act comic operas which will be fully presented on Thursday, November 16 at 8:00 p.m. in Bryan Hall Theatre. Directed by Dr. Julie Anne Wieck and accompanied by Dr. Michael Seregow, the program will consist of A Game of Chance, involving the visitation of a Representative, a messenger of fate, to three young women, each with her own special dream. After they get their wishes granted, they come to the realization that they didn’t ask for enough. Chanticleer is based on one of the stories from Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales about a vain rooster who becomes entrapped by a flattering fox. |
