The Geneseo Chamber Singers didn’t let spring break keep them from singing. Instead, the group embarked on a performance tour to Washington, D.C. from March 9 – 11. During their tour, the Chamber Singers performed in two concerts – one in Eatontown, N.J. and the other in Bethesda, Md. near Washington.
The singers performed in their first concert in Eatontown on Friday March 9. After the concert, group members and the Director of Choral Activities and music professor Gerard Floriano participated in what are known as “homestays:” spending the night at the homes of families who sponsored the church-held concert.
“[Homestays] always end up being a very nice experience, both for us – the musicians – and also for the families that take us in,” Floriano said.
On Saturday March 10, Chamber Singers continued on their journey to Washington. After arriving, they used their downtime to visit famous historical sites such as the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument and the Korean War Veterans Memorial.
Chamber Singers alumni Scott Guzielek ’01 also provided the group with a private tour of Washington’s John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Guzielek currently works as the artistic administrator for the Washington National Opera, with which the Kennedy Center is affiliated. Guzielek also met with several of the students for dinner afterward to answer questions and give advice pertaining to careers in the arts.
The Chamber Singers finished off the tour on Sunday March 11 with their final concert in Bethesda. The choir’s program normally consists of a mixture of classical and gospel music; on this tour, however, they performed everything from French music and spiritual hymns to gypsy love songs. Senior Chamber Singers President Devon Borowski said he feels a strong bond with his fellow Chamber Singers. “It’s a place where we all feel very comfortable to express ourselves artistically,” Borowski said. “It’s like a very large family that extends not only to this very specific choir from 2011 – 2012, but to everybody that’s ever been in the Geneseo Chamber Singers.”
Floriano said that the added challenge of going on tour always seems to strengthen his bond with the group. “As I tell the choir, we’re not in here to rehearse, we’re here to sing – we’re here to perform our music,” he said. “It’s more fulfilling in some ways to perform for people that don’t know us at all and to get a response,” he said.
The Chamber Singers will hold their final concert of the semester Sunday April 22 at 3 p.m. in Wadsworth Auditorium.