Emily Dearing, story; Audrey Snyder, photos
The south parking lot filled last night as fans and family poured into the school to support kids from all across Columbia. Along with a middle school football game on the RBHS field and volleyball games in the Main and Auxiliary Gyms, the RBHS Vocal Music Department hosted a free Fall Choral Concert from 7-8 p.m. Oct. 17. The four choirs performed a combined total of 16 songs, conducted by choir director Mike Pierson and accompanist Bob Bohon.
Sophomore Kate Lopez, a soloist for the advanced treble choir in the concert, grew up around music. Whether it was her mother singing or piano lessons starting in first grade, music always played an enormous role in Lopez’s life.
“I didn’t anticipate actually getting a solo when I auditioned, but it was an incredible feeling when I found out I got it.” Lopez said. “I wasn’t as nervous as I thought I would be, but the one main issue that I dealt with was being sick.”
Suffering from a persistent cough and outside pressures would for many be a reason to give up. But for Lopez, it was a motivation to push her through the night.
“I tried to make the most of [my situation] and more just focused on the words I was saying and the sounds I was making, rather than the audience I was looking at, so I didn’t get super nervous,” said Lopez.
After Lopez’s solo, the chamber choir replaced the advanced treble chorus on stage, performing physically and vocally through singing, stomping, and clapping. Senior Jake Doherty enjoyed this embodied expression, and partook enthusiastically.
“The different styles that Pierson brings to the choir makes for a diverse concert that is always enjoyable,” said Doherty. “The interactive parts of the performance bring a level of amusement to the concert that makes it more fun for everyone.
“One day in choir Pierson had us all lay on the floor while he read us a passage that helped us open our minds and help us relax together. It took up 20 minutes in class and everyone enjoyed it, especially the few who fell asleep on the ground.”
Pierson, the director behind the interactive experience, expects more than just vocals from the ensemble. Through challenging students to perform kinetically, he expands their ability to artistically express themselves.
“I think there was a lot of retention of some of the more expressive elements; dynamics, phrasing, tempos, [and] articulations,” Pierson said. “A lot of the time, performers will get on stage and resort back to the bare minimum of just the notes and the rhythms. But this group went beyond that.”
“Lunar Lullaby,” written by Jacob Narverud, is a haunting piece that carries breath with it as it fades across the auditorium, leaving a listener straining to hear the last note. The end of the song left the entire audience in silence for a few moments before clapping began, which is what Pierson said was his primary goal: the audience appreciating the music before applauding it.
To the untrained ear, the concert may have had discordant, uncomfortable moments. However, as Pierson stopped the concert to explain, this quality is called dissonance. Dissonance is a lack of musical harmony between notes, like in the song “I Hide Myself” by Eric Whitacre. Despite this eery approach, dissonance can serve as a beautiful expression of thought.
For these singers, music is more than just a hobby; it is a passion that shapes their lives. Doherty discovered the arts at a dance class when he was seven, finding self-expression through hip-hop until his older brother introduced him to the world of audible music.
“I was greatly inspired by my older brother who did musicals and show choir while he was at Rock Bridge,” Doherty said. “Ever since I saw him perform on stage, I knew I wanted to be a part of choir, so I joined and I’ve loved it ever since.”
Senior Cato Walls has also loved music for as long as he can remember, speaking fondly of City Lights, the co-ed show choir he has been apart of for three years.
“[Singing has] always been intertwined with my life,” Walls said, “so singing is a foundation of me.”
With the end of each song, time froze and the last voice rang through the auditorium, resonating with the audience. Applause began, and as the curtain of performance fell from the students’ faces, they all began to smile and laugh. The audience, for a brief moment, was allowed a glimpse into the tight-knit community of the choir program.
“After I brought music into my life, I made it a part of me,” Doherty said. “It’s like another family, what I’ve found is that life is almost meaningless without music.”
What does music mean to you? Let us know in the comments below.[penci_authors_box_2 style_block_title=”style-title-11″ post_desc_length=”20″ number=”2″ order_by=”user_registered” include=”69, 72″ block_id=”penci_authors_box_2-1571898536558″ custom_markup_1=””]
