Last semester, the Virginia Women’s Chorus performed in the annual Family Weekend concerts in Old Cabell Hall with the Virginia Glee Club, the University Singers, and the Chamber Singers at the end of September. We had very little time to prepare for the concert after the addition of several new girls but made waves with our interpretations of “I Thank You God” and “Chili Con Carne.”
In December, we held our 31st annual Candlelight Concerts in the U.Va. Chapel. In honor of Benjamin Britten’s 100th birthday, our featured piece was his “Ceremony of Carols,” accompanied by the harp. As a fourth-semester member of the Chorus, I have been in a number of concerts and enjoyed every moment of them as a showcase of all the members’ hard work and talent, but these Candlelight Concerts in particular were incredibly rewarding. I had no idea how beautiful, subtle, and dynamic we could sound until those performances – we took it to a height that I did not think was possible, and it was stunning for me as a Chorus member to experience and (I hope) for the audience that shared in the music with us.
Personally, my favorite piece in every Candlelight Concert is our rendition of “Silent Night.” Audience members have told me in the past that this is where the concert becomes something “magical,” and that is always how I have viewed it, as well. This past semester, our director KaeRenae Mitchell composed an exquisite and moving arrangement of “Silent Night” that truly was a magical way to end the Candlelight Concerts.
VWC was also invited to sing at the National Christmas Tree on December 19, which was a fun finish to the semester. We performed “Duo Seraphim” (a Renaissance piece), “Deck the Halls in 7/8,” and a couple highlights from the “Ceremony of Carols.” It was exciting to perform for a different community, and a great way to improve our visibility outside of Charlottesville.
This semester, we have been busy singing the National Anthem at several basketball and baseball games as well as participating in gigs. Most notably, we were able to sing in front of a full stadium at John Paul Jones Arena for the men’s basketball game against Virginia Tech. Go Hoos! In addition, we sang at Glee Club’s SingFest, an a cappella charity concert where the proceeds went to the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. We hope to see you at our concert on March 29 at 3:30 pm for another wonderfully lively program! Though it’s an earlier date than usual, we have been working hard to deliver another fantastic concert. Thank you for your support, as always!
Janice Park, Vice President 2014