The music department is hosting a concert this Friday, Nov. 12 at 7:30 p.m. This concert will feature the prominent ensembles of the Jazz Band and Heritage Singers. The concert will be the Heritage Singers’ second and final performance for the academic year.
The Heritage Singers will sing three emotive pieces. The first is “Liebeslieder Waltzer (Love Song Waltzes)” by Johannes Brahms. Brahms is referred to as one of the “three Bs” of classical music with Johann Sebastian Bach and Ludwig van Beethoven.
This German piece will feature four-hand piano accompaniment by Dr. Juyeon Kang and Janelle Phinney.
“My favorite song out of ‘Liebeslieder Waltzer’ is Am Donaustrande,” said senior baritone DJ Nibbelink. “There is a girl who is locked away from this man in a house along the Donau river. The bases sing the character of a proud man that says, ‘ten bars cannot keep me from her—I will break them like glass.’ I find this funny and endearing to sing as a manly-man calling out to the world in defiance.”
After this traditional piece comes the song “Don’t Worry About Me” arranged for the King’s Singers. Some in the music world consider this all-male group the gold standard in A Capella arrangements and performances.
Nibbelink expresses how he sees God in this piece. “With ‘Don’t Worry About Me,’ the singers are speaking as a friend or loved one who is always there for them. This makes me relate to Jesus as He is always there for us with that unconditional love and that feeling of togetherness.”
The Heritage Singers will finish their singing collection with “Dúlamán,” a song arranged by composer Desmond Earley of the University College Dublin. This song was originally a 1970s Irish working song sung by Clannad.Many iterations of this song have made their way into the world including a version by the group Celtic Woman. The Heritage Singers will feature two soloists in “Dúlamán:,” sophomore alto Naomi Lief and junior fiddle player Jamie Stoscher.
Katie Struck, junior soprano one, conveys merriment for the Heritage Singers’ songs. “There’s quite a bit I enjoy about these pieces. For the Brahms, I enjoy the wide range of emotions found within the music. It really paints a picture of what it feels like to fall in love and to be in love. I also absolutely love the text in ‘Don’t Worry About Me.’ I think the words will certainly leave a lasting impression on the audience as they hear the vulnerable and heartfelt message,” Struck said. “As for ‘Dúlamán,’ it’s such a fun piece to sing, and I’m sure it will be so much fun for the audience as well! The energy and excitement and overall joy is a nice contrast from the other pieces, and I think it will be a nice transition into the jazz band portion of the concert.”
The concert will close with an effervescent repertoire of the Jazz Band. You may hear the same pieces performed in the past, but the Jazz Band does an excellent musical tautology of their pieces and no two performances are alike.
This concert is free to the public and all are encouraged to come.
