by J.R. Gonsalves
Staff Writer
and
Araceli Esparza
Editorial Assistant
The music will be heard and voices will sing out high when the University of La Verne Chorale makes its season debut Dec. 12 in a holiday performance.
Included in the performance are members of the Chamber Singers, an individual group consisting of a total of 12 people. The Chamber Singers are made up of students who also enjoy singing, yet have chosen to utilize their voices beyond Chorale, and into the community.
According to Alicia Ann Hester, a freshmen diversified major, the group was set up for “recruiting” purposes to try to attract people to the choir.
In unison, the voices of freshmen Alicia Ann Hester, Christine Rivera, Jenny Shovel, Wesley Hester III and Sirinae Warfel, sophomores Teriy Castro, Maria Sandoval, James Rosario, Jeremy Collins, senior Sandy Thay and alumni Ray Garza and Ryan Harrison are led by first-year choir director Alan Raines, assistant professor of music.
“Everyone is talented in the group,” said Castro, a diversified major. “The sound is a good blend.”
The Dec. 12 holiday performance, whose theme is “Star of Glory,” will consist of both secular and classical holiday pieces. Each piece, including the song, “Star of Glory,” will be presented as only a part the music to be sung throughout the evening.
The Chorale will also perform classics such as “Who is He in Yonder Stall?” and “Let it Snow!” In addition, Chamber singers will sing “Zum, Zum, Zum” and “Jazzy Jingle Bells.”
“The songs we are doing are really good,” said Hester.
In January, Raines will have a select few of Chamber Singers travel to different area high schools to perform to recruit high school students to come to the University and take part in singing for the choir.
“I am encouraging people to come see some of the new things that are going on in the Music Department,” said Raines.
Raines is going to use the Chamber Singers to recruit, but more importantly, he is going to use them to build the program.
There are no set dates for the January concerts, but Raines is confident that the dates will be set in the near future.
“I’ve really enjoyed it,” said Castro. “The biggest reward will be when we perform, the people’s reactions.”
Journalism operations manager at the University of La Verne. Production manager and business manager of the Campus Times.
