Natalia Rodriguez
Staff Writer
The University of La Verne’s Chamber Singers and University Chorale performed “United in Song” Saturday in Morgan Auditorium.
The performance, which went for about an hour, showcased a series of traditional choral pieces alongside madrigal arrangements of contemporary songs. Approximately 70 people were in attendance.
Clarissa Shan, the director of choral activities and vocal studies at ULV, mentioned wanting to create unity between music through time.
Both choirs took turns performing, starting with the Chamber Singers. The three times they were on stage, they sang their pieces a cappella.
The Chorale, by contrast, was accompanied by pianist Song Mi Choi. During their performance of “All of Me” by Kyle Pederson, they were also accompanied by Victoria Romano, assistant professor of music, on violin.
“It is a bit more rewarding to go up there and perform because it is something I have actually chosen to do, practice, and work at, and put effort towards,” Nyla Barzaga, junior psychology major and member of the Chorale, said. “So that’s a really good feeling.”
One highlight of the event was the Chamber Singers performing “Wannabe” by the Spice Girls as a madrigal arrangement. Angelina Alvarez, senior psychology major and one of the Chamber Singers, mentioned that it was her favorite piece to practice and perform.
Alvarez has been involved in choir since she was in third grade, and was happy to continue throughout her university years. Joining the choir at ULV helped her broaden her musical horizons outside of pop music.
Destiny Tenor, junior political science major and member of the Chamber Singers, said the same.
“I’m more of a musical theatre singer, or pop, so coming in and doing classical was. . . a little bit of a shock,” Tenor said.
Nevertheless, both singers enjoyed performing at the event.
“It was very interesting because I already technically graduated,” Alvarez said. “It’s very different, but I’m excited that I got to sing it with my other seniors and that we get to go on this Germany trip together one last time before we all graduate.”
During the event, Shan acknowledged and congratulated the graduating seniors from both choirs. She announced their names, majors, the length of time they’ve been involved with either choir and their future plans post-undergraduate studies. As each student came up, Chamber Singer Nathan Terrazas presented them with tokens to remember their time with the choir.
For the Chorale, she provided pins saying “choir,” and for the Chamber Singers, she provided sashes. Shan stated this was a tradition she brought from the school she previously taught at.
“It’s important to create a sense of community, because we, as a choir, we’re kind of like one big family,” Shan said.
The final piece performed was “Resilience” by Abbie Betinis. Both the Chamber Singers and the Chorale sang this piece, with the Chamber Singers stepping off-stage to line up amongst the audience members. Additionally, the audience was encouraged to stand and sing along to either the main melody, with the Chorale, or the harmony, with the Chamber Singers. Lyrics were provided in the program.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re a last-semester senior or a freshman; now is the time to try things in college,” Shan said.
Later this month, the Chamber Singers will be traveling to Germany for two weeks. They will be performing in a series of cathedrals and at the Peter and Paul Festival, a popular historical reenactment fair.
“It’s really fun to experience that kind of culture and how diverse music can be, yet it’s so universal at the same time,” Alvarez said.
Natalia Rodriguez can be reached at natalia.rodriguez@laverne.edu.
Natalia Rodriguez is a senior creative writing and communications major. She is a member of ULV's The Blank Page Writer's Club and has served as a staff member for the school's literary magazine, Prism Review. She is currently arts editor and a staff photographer for the Campus Times and previously served as a staff writer.
Jasmine Lyn is a sophomore photography major and photography editor for the Campus Times. She is also a staff photographer for La Verne Magazine and a former staff photographer for the Campus Times. Her work can also be found at Jazzylyn.com
