USD Music Department Presents Spring Showcase
Last weekend USD’s Music Department held one of its biggest events of the year: the Spring Choral Showcase.
On Feb. 25, the Spring Choral Showcase presented musical works from the four campus choral groups: Chamber Singers, Symphonic Choir, Jazz Choir and the Collegium Musicum.
Chamber Singers is an a capella choir comprised of students in various studies, but requires an audition. Symphonic Choir is the community choir that any student, or even community members, can participate in.
Jazz Choir is new this year and allows for singers to explore different music styles. Collegium Musicum is an all women’s choir that performs a wide range of repertoire.
Maleah Wright, vice-president and member of Chamber Singers, and member of Symphonic Choir and Jazz Choir spoke about the preparation involved. Each choir is given class time to work on songs, but it is up to the different sections within the choir to find time to practice outside of class. This can be hard with conflicting schedules.
Rehearsals are not the only thing that can be difficult to work around. Weekends that involve several different music department events, like last weekend’s performance from the Symphony Orchestra, can create a confusing schedule.
“Concert weekends are always really busy,” said Wright. “There are always multiple things going on.”
Each choir performed between three and four songs at the showcase, the exception being the Chamber Singers who performed seven songs. Students and community members worked to perfect the songs and had to work around their busy schedules not only for rehearsals, but for the hectic concert weekend.
Though busyness surrounded the weekend, it set the pace well for the other events that will take place later in the semester, such as the Chamber Singers’ spring break tour.
“This year we are traveling through Iowa and Missouri, and then we will work our way back to South Dakota.” Wright explained. She anticipates that their performance in St. Louis will be the highlight spot of the tour.
Chamber Singers start learning and performing music at the beginning of the school year. Their spring break tour includes every song that they’ve learned throughout the year.
“Everything that the community hears at concerts from August to March is what we will perform on tour.” Said Wright.
With this compilation of songs, the concert that is performed at each location will run about two hours long.
Besides the spring break tour coming up, the choirs will be doing a collaboration with the Symphony Orchestra on April 19th. There will also be an opera that the Chamber Singers Choir will be performing at the very end of April.
