A Capella choir hits the big apple

Courtesy of Jaque Howe

The A Cappella Choir performs for tour groups being led through The Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine in New York City during their summer tour. Along with performances and choral workshops, A Cappella Choir toured the city and attended Broadway shows.

The ESU A Capella Choir toured New York City for four days last May as a part of the National Festival of the State Performance Tour. Choir members performed in two churches and visited tourist attractions as well.

“I got back from the Choir trip in 2006 to Europe and I thought it would be cool to do something in the States,” said Terry Barham, Director of Choral Activities at ESU. “I was trying to decide between San Francisco and New York City but when some violence broke out in San Francisco last year I decided it would be safer if we traveled to NYC and that’s when we started planning.”

The theme of the A Capella group’s ensemble of music that they sang in New York City was ‘Heaven and Earth’. They prepared 20 pieces, most of which they had used in performances and contest throughout the year.

“My favorite song that we performed in NYC was ‘There Will Be Rest’ by Frank Ticheli, because of the way that it sounded in the cathedral,” said Jacque Howe, senior secondary vocal music education major and member of A Capella Choir. “It almost brought me to tears when we sang it.”

The choir attended a choral workshop with Judith Clurman, former choral instructor at Julliard. They also had the option to tour such places as Grand Central Station, Madison Square Garden, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Radio City Music Hall and the Empire State Building. Members of the choir went on an afternoon harbor cruise and ate dinner at Rockefeller Center and the South Street Seaport as well as other tourist activities.

“We went and saw ballet the first night,” said Emilia Chiroy, sophomore music education major. “It was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen–the musicality and the dancing together. It’s a form of art I’ve never been exposed to.”

One of the most exciting events that members of the choir got to do was see several Broadway shows. For many, the one that stood out the most was seeing The Lion King on their third night in New York.

“The most memorable part of the trip was being able to see a Broadway show and seeing professional dancers, actors and musicians and how much talent that they have,” Howe said.

On their last day before they left, the choir performed two concerts. The first took place at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine and the second was a Post-Mass performance of the Church of St. Paul the Apostle. To perform at the Cathedral, the group had to send in a taped audition ahead of time.

“St. Paul the Apostle had the best acoustics of the two churches and beautiful sound,” Barham said. “This was truly a remarkable experience because we displayed that this is not a choir of country bumpkins but people with big hearts and a wide range of talent. We had something to say and we said it with grace and beauty.”

On their last night in the city, choir members had the opportunity to attend a performance by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra and had a self-arranged pre-concert talk with individuals involved with the Orchestra.

To get ready for the trip, the choir held a number of fundraisers which included selling fruit, performing Singing Valentines and the Renaissance Madrigal Feast. During the Singing Valentines, members were hired to sing short songs to individuals significant others throughout the day.

The Renaissance Madrigal Feast is a traditional fundraiser for the choir that usually takes place in November. Choir members dress in Shakespearean clothing and perform that style of music for an audience as they eat dinner.

“We did have to put a lot of hard work into all of the fundraising,” Howe said. “However, in the end it was all worth it. Being able to perform in the Cathedral of St. John the Divine was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before.”