Richa 1!

Rita Richa
Professor Todd Campbell
Music Appreciation
April 30, 2015
Cathedral Classics
Concert Report

Music is an art form that allows the listener to fully immerse their self into a raw emotional experience. Music is the sharing of true thoughts and creative ideas, a way to tell a story to
others, sometimes without words. Attending a live music event is the best way to relay this wonderful, escapade of true art to an audience. On Friday, April 24, 2015, at Eight oclock p.m, I
attended FSCJs Fine Arts Departments Chorale performance. The performance featured the
Womens Chorus, Mens Chorus, and Concert Chorale. This exhilarating, and beautiful, performance was titled Cathedral Classics. The performance was directed by Dr. Timothy Workman
and accompanied by Ms. Bonita Wyke. This performance gave homage to historical, classic music and took place at the stunning Nathan H. Wilson Center for the Arts.
The concert opened with the Womens Chorus performing a breathtaking performance of
Francis Poulencs, Ave Vernum Corpus. The performance was done acapella style and was virtually flawless. For lack of better words, it sounded as if a choir of angels were singing. (https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=1E4s5FJgprw). The rich and clean harmonies in this piece are truly
what brought it to life. Because this was done acapella, dynamics played a huge role in the performance, without dynamics, the song would have sounded lifeless and bland. At this point in the

Richa 2!
performance, I was expecting the full concert chorale to open with a piece, so I was surprised
when it was the Womens chorus that opened.
Dr. Workman cleverly set the performance in this way; to allow the mens chorus to approach through the audience from behind, the group performed their piece, and slowly joined
the Womens Chorus on stage. I am sure Dr. Workman was inspired by Paganinis performance
style, and set up the Mens choir to appear unexpectedly, just like Paganini would have. The
men performed a ravishing, acapella rendition of Tschesnokoffs, Salvation is Created (https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ww2592zx8U). FSCJs Mens Choir is not the largest I have seen,
but the smaller group size allowed for a more intimate performance. This rendition of Salvation
is Created just shook me to my core, it was simply beguiling. The emphasis on full and precise
harmonies were very evident and wonderfully executed.
Once the Mens and Womens chorus had fully merged on stage, Dr. Workman took a
moment to explain the song selections and why the evenings performance was titled Cathedral
Classics. When I used to perform in Chorale with him last year, hearing Dr. Workman speak
was the best experience ever; I was excited and happy to hear his brilliant words. He expressed
how music was first documented and saved by the early Catholic church, and how some of the
greatest composers created works for religious events (Cathedral performances being a prominent one.) So to honor and allude to this time, Dr. Workman decided to title the performance,
Cathedral Classics.
The next piece, Brittens Jubilate Deo, was performed by the full Concert Chorale.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeOoP-FidP0). The dynamics and constantly changing tempo, really brought this piece to life, giving it a unique sound. The tempo ranged from Andantino

Richa 3!
to Vivace, but with Adagio moments, to add suspense and tension. Another large theme and motif of this piece was call and response, very commonly used throughout the song. I really liked
this piece, I did not know what to expect next; it was refreshingly unpredictable. The enchanting
piano accompanist, really helped to add the free, and light vibe to this song.
The next song was Mendelssohns Grant us They Peace. This generally is a SATB performance piece, which includes the full chorale range of sopranos, altos, tenors, and basses. Although this version, was reworked by Dr. Workman to be sung an octave lower, for the Mens
Choir. As with many other songs of the night, this piece was performed acapella. It was a very
pleasant, but not especially a memorable rendition.
The next performance was one presented by all womens quartet. It was one of my favorite pieces of the night! The song was a 19th century piece by Arthur Sullivan, titled The
Long Day Closes (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bb5bJM4a9iM). Dr. Workman explained
this piece was simply a bonus song that the quartet really wanted to do for fun. It was a very
challenging piece to put together because it is usually performed by an all male group! The harmonies in this piece left me at a loss for words. The altos really shined in this performance; call
and response was a major theme as well as delayed response.
The performances transitioned to the next piece named, How Lovely is Thy Dwelling
Place, a German requiem,written by Brahms. Requiems were usually written as a mourning
song for the dead, played at a funeral mass. Brahms wanted to challenge this thinking and created a requiem for the living. The lyrics were composed to give the living, who were mourning a
loved one, comfort, peace, and hope. This piece was sang by the concert chorale in a full SATB
setting, featuring tight harmonies with upward and downward scales, harmonizing at once. The

Richa 4!
song was mostly in unison, but had moments of overlapping call and responses, crescendoing, to
add a grander effect. The aspect of this song added beauty and a certain "je nais se quoi, was
the gorgeous piano accompaniment. Ms. Wyke performed with a light touch, but with full emotion; the sound was smooth, yet strong.
Following this wonderful work was Rachmaninoffs excerpt of the All Night Vigil.
This renowned composer allegedly created this song in only two weeks for monks requesting the
pieces for a religious service. The full concert chorale performed this acapella, with deep and
rich harmonies. I felt that the song showcased a strong alto and soprano section, with a driving
polyphonic tone. The highlight of this piece was the large and alluring moment of sudden
crescendo from the mens section.
The grand finale of the concert, and my absolute favorite song in the entire showing, was
titled The Lord is My Sheppard by John Rutter. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNDSjrdj530). The full concert chorale performed this, but a surprise accompanist joined the stage. Dr.
Workmans wife, a very talented violinist, joined the performance with Ms. Wyke. The song began with a magnificent violin solo introduction, featuring such crisp vibrato, which set the tone
for the rest of the piece. The piano joined in, then the soprano section led the piece with such
deep, rich, harmonies, it gave me goosebumps. The piano seemed to just cascade and softly release with the violin. The tension and release were strongly displayed with sudden minor key
change while the chorale would abruptly crescendo and decrescendo.
Attending this concert was extremely worthwhile, the songs took me on a journey, a spiritual, emotional, and metaphorical journey. Attending reminded me of when I used to perform
with that very group. But it was a different experience because I became the audience member,

Richa 5!
not performer. The audience as a whole seemed to enjoy it as well, the night ended with a standing ovation! This event truly made me feel I should attend other concerts in the future. The
songs performed were truly Cathedral songs and Classics. The program had a great variety of
pieces that were wonderfully executed. The concert as a whole showcased the most elegant art
form of music and shared a story to the audience that left them wanting more. On that friday
night at the Nathan H. Wilson Center for the Arts, the voice was the true instrument, that will
play back forever in the minds of those that attended.