Wide Open Spaces: Concordia Concert Choir
Concert Date: April 13th at 2pm in Tegler.
Laughter rang out across the Lynn Mandel Music Room as the choir conductor, John Brough, finished his joke. These were the sorts of sounds that punctuated the melodies of the Music Department on the day I went to visit the choir class. I found myself smiling at all times as I got caught up in the fun everyone was having. If you are ever struggling to escape a funk, then you should try visiting the Music Department; the vibrancy and camaraderie of this group is very contagious.
They have a concert coming up, Wide Open Spaces, and that was why I was visiting them. Still, I hadn’t been there five minutes before I was asked whether I was a bass or a tenor and invited to join the choir. This is a very welcoming group. Their conductor sets the tone with a jovial and understanding attitude, but it is the students who really run with it. Jorge, a 3rd year music student, told me how being a part of the choir had helped them make friendships. He joked with me about how he was getting university credits to make friends and have fun. Even their warm up was filled with playfulness. They find a way to combine fun with diligence, their performance cultivated by the mixture.
Wide Open Spaces is a hopeful piece, very appropriate to the current climate. Setsuko, a 1st year music student in the choir, talked about how she felt that those who come to the concert would be treating themselves to an expression of self and hope that would be great for their mental health. One of the most interesting pieces will be a ‘jazz mass’ that many of the members of the choir are excited to perform. If you are able to, take some time before finals to ‘treat yo’self’ and enjoy what is sure to be a fun and exciting concert by our Concordia Concert Choir.
