The Geneseo Chamber Singers—directed by professor of music and department chair Gerard Floriano—and the Geneseo Spectrum Singers—directed by adjunct professor of music Amy Cochrane—performed at the Central Presbyterian Church on Sunday March 3. Both directors selected religious pieces for their concert (Udeshi Seneviratne/photo editor).
Golden chandeliers and wide, opaque windows allowed light to flood the Center Street Central Presbyterian Church for the “Juntos en Canción” chorus concert on Sunday March 3.
Audience members filled the church pews in anticipation to hear the trained voices of the Geneseo Chamber Singers—directed by professor of music and department chair Gerard Floriano—and the Spectrum Singers—directed by adjunct professor of music Amy Cochrane.
The Spectrum Singers were first to take the stage, quieting the chattering audience. The group started the concert with “Ave Maria” by Johannes Brahms. The soft dynamics and resonant alto notes of this piece made for a stunning opening for the concert.
The group followed “Ave Maria” with “Nigra Sum” by Pablo Casals, “Sometimes I feel” as arranged by J. Harold Montague and “Deep River” as arranged by John Verrall.
Most of the works sung by the Spectrum and Chamber Singers in the concert centered heavily around Jesus Christ and his mother, Mary. The church environment suited this theme, which was made more apparent by the golden crucifix glistening behind the singers as they performed.
Floriano noted that the Chamber Singers were obligated to sing religious works for their upcoming concert tour in Spain and Portugal.
“There’s a requirement by the churches and spaces in which we will be singing that everything we sing has to be sacred,” Floriano said.
As for the Spectrum Singers, Cochrane commented that she was inspired by her own mother when organizing the for the Spectrum Singers’ program.
“My mom lived in Virginia, and she was particularly fond of spirituals,” Cochrane said. “[“Sometimes I Feel”] was arranged by Montague, who was a graduate of Oberlin … he was the first African American to sing at the New York City Opera.”
The Spectrum Singers’ performance of “Sometimes I Feel” was both eerie and empowering. The women’s strong voices captivated the audience with their authority and emotion. Adjunct professor of music Kurt Galvan and adjunct professor of music Wan-Ling Chuang accompanied the singers on the piano. The accompaniment largely worked to harmonize with the all-female choir by contributing lower notes to the chorus of soprano and alto voices.
The Chamber Singers were not accompanied by the pianists in most of their songs. Floriano explained that this was due to the group’s upcoming trip.
“We’ll be singing in churches without accompaniment,” Floriano said. “There’s not too much secular [material] on the program, but [for this concert] we will ask the pianists to play with us for the [Johannes] Brahms.”
The Chamber Singers opened with “O Vos Omnes” by Pablo Casals. The song focused entirely on the voices of the group as they echoed through the church over the audience members’ heads. Where Spectrum singers only includes sopranos and altos, Chamber singers includes sopranos, altos, tenors and basses. The wider combination of harmonies dazzled audience members and filled the church with intertwining melodies.
Tenor sophomore Brett Hammes sang a solo in “Ezekiel Saw de Wheel” and left the room spellbound with his hearty tone and inspiring energy. The piece, already at a bouncing and enthusiastic pace, was made livelier by Hammes’s individual part.
The Geneseo Music Department’s next concert will be the Geneseo String Band’s “Pre. St. Pat’s Concert: Music and Dance in the Celtic Tradition” on Saturday March 9 at 7 p.m. in Wadsworth Auditorium.