Men’s Chorus and Women’s Chorus sing traditional songs and hymns that honor those who came before them
BYU’s School of Music has many time-honored traditions. These unique customs in the school allow students to explore the heritage of those students who came before them. This November, two of BYU’s auditioned choirs, Men’s Chorus and Women’s Chorus, will be performing songs that reflect the rich traditions of both groups.
With a nod to the directors that came before him, Men’s Chorus director Brent Wells has prepared pieces from the first concerts that past Men’s Chorus directors Mac Wilberg and Rosalind Hall conducted in their time at BYU.
“I thought it would be great to honor the giants who have come before,” said Wells. “All of the music on the program … pays homage to my predecessors.”
Along with singing music from his forebears’ first concerts, Wells plans for Men’s Chorus to perform the arrangements that past conductors have written for the choir.
“One of the hallmarks of all of these conductors is that they were not only conductors, but they also wrote music for the choir,” Wells said. In keeping with that tradition, Men’s Chorus will perform Wilberg’s arrangement of “Redeemer of Israel” and Hall’s “Choose the Right.” They will also sing Wells’ own arrangement of “We Sing the Mighty Power of God.”
The culmination of the Men’s Chorus part of the concert will include a medley of songs from “Fiddler On the Roof.” This piece will feature performances from vocalist Robert Brandt, violinst Alex Woods and clarinetist Jaren Hinkley.
Women’s Chorus, an active participant in the auditioned choirs for nearly 20 years, has established its own unique traditions. The group aims to “provide meaningful artistic and spiritual experiences for its singers and audiences,” and, under the direction of Sonja Poulter, will be performing hymns and other familiar songs that recall its own inheritance.
“Women’s Chorus tradition is defined by elegance in sound and expressive singing,” said Poulter. “Our portion of the concert will feature psalms and music of promise.”
The choir’s repertoire will include songs from the 17th century, as well as Daniel Gawthrop’s “Evening Grace” and other psalms.
“I hope audiences will feel entertained [and] educated, but most importantly edified by the music,” said Poulter.
Don’t miss out on an evening of rich choral traditions with BYU’s Men’s Chorus and Women’s Chorus!
For ticket information, go to arts.byu.edu.