Winter 2010 Choral Concert

The UWMC Vocal Show Ensemble, Vocal Techniques Class, and the Concert Chorale,

all directed by William Day, put on a fun, wonderful holiday concert Sunday night.

In previous years the UWMC Music Department has had a vocal jazz group, but this

year, under a different director, the UWMC had the Vocal Show Ensemble, also known as the

Show Choir. Day has come out of retirement to direct the UWMC Vocalists once again, hence

the change to a Show Choir. The Ensemble had several pieces to perform, starting with

Christmas themed songs, such as: Twelve Days After Christmas, Fruitcake and Grown-up

Christmas List and working to more “Show Tunes” such as: Where is Love? From “Oliver”, and

Too Darn Hot from “Kiss Me Kate.” The mixture between the humorous and the serious pieces

kept the listener entertained and interested the whole way through. A wonderful addition to this

portion of the show was the between numbers commentary from Day. It made it almost as if

there was a story to it all.

After the Vocal Show Ensemble finished, a few of the members stuck around to sing with

the remainder of the Vocal Techniques Class, something else that has come back with Day.

Several students, all ranging in ability when singing all took what they had learned this past

semester to perform their own song for the audience, that song was The Star Carol. During the

song there were two solos by some of the more experienced singers of the group. The one piece

was a nice change from the other songs so far during the show, you could really just listen, you

didn’t have to watch the singers. Though there is one downside to being able to listen more

closely, and that is hearing when one singer is off pitch, only by a little, which makes it all that

much easier to hear.

 The Concert Chorale Finished the show with seven songs, all of a Religious origin.

Several solos were sung through all these pieces, but one song and its singers stuck out to me.

That song was Street Corner Spirituals. Street Corner Spirituals is a song comprised of several

smaller songs, a compilation, and even included a trumpet player. During this song, and many of

the other selections, there was a member of the chorale playing the accompanying piano part.

This was a very welcomed thing for it not only showed vocal talent, but it showed instrumental

talent as well. Nothing really stood out too much from this show, then again this is also the first

Chorale concert I have ever attended. That said, I did enjoy it very much and look forward to the

work Day and his students will put in for the future concerts.