It is a very special thing when someone is given the gift of song. The voice tells a story not always through words, but with pitch and tone. There is an underlying emotion that comes along with certain melodies. When a body of voices comes together to form a chorus, the execution can be spectacular.
One of the earliest kinds of choral arrangement is the acapella choir. These choirs originated from early Gregorian chants and rely solely on the vocal harmonies of the choir. The music department at Shepherd eagerly prepares for the upcoming A Capella Choral concert on Oct. 25, to be performed at St. James Catholic Church under the direction of Dr. Erik Jones.
Jones brings nine years of experience to Shepherd University and is the director of vocal activities. With titles such as choral composer, conductor and artistic director of the Master Singers of Virginia under his belt, he holds a specific love for a capella choral music. Here at Shepherd, he uses his diverse musical background to aid students in chamber singers, women’s camerata and the vocal jazz ensemble.
This year’s concert theme is based on the a capella masterpiece “In the Beginning” by Aaron Copland. It is a verbatim setting of the Book of Genesis, King James edition.
“The concert consists of all of our mostly a cappella choirs, which includes the chamber singers, women’s camerata, men’s choir and vocal jazz octet. This concert will feature entirely a cappella sacred music that was written to be performed in a large cathedral space,” Jones said.
He explained this is due to the fact that the concert will be held for the first time outside of Shepherd University at St. James Catholic Church in Charles Town.
Students have been rehearsing for eight weeks in preparation for this concert, wherein they are required to rehearse for approximately two to three hours per week.
“In addition, there is usually a sectional, which can run anywhere from half an hour to an hour each week,” Jones said.
The chamber singers and vocal jazz octet are select ensembles where the individuals must go through an audition process every spring. However, “the women’s camerata and men’s choir (which also come together to form the concert choir) are open enrollment, and anyone who is a Shepherd student has the ability to partake,” said Jones.
Although many of the students in these choral ensembles are music majors, Dr. Jones encourages anyone with an interest in music to get involved.
“Many of the members of our choirs are not music majors. In fact, nothing would make me happier than to have more non-music majors participate in the ensembles. I would strongly encourage anyone who is interested to sign up for an ensemble in the spring. All of the ensembles are for class credit, and they are in the MUEN section of the catalog,” Jones said.
The A Capella Choral Concert will be held at St. James Catholic Church in Charles Town, W. Va. on Oct. 25 at 8 p.m. Tickets are free of charge, but donations are encouraged.
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